College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in Illinois

19 Ranked Colleges
811 Degrees Awarded
$38,219 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Public Relations & Advertising is the 52nd most popular major in the country with 21,099 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public relations and advertising graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,287 and had an average of $23,973 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 942 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,755 and $23,047 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 811 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in public relations and advertising. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular public relations and advertising programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Relations Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at UIUC

2
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full DePaul University Public Relations & Advertising Report

3
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 127 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Loyola Chicago Public Relations & Advertising Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 89 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois State

5
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Bradley

6
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Columbia

7
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Eastern Illinois University

8
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at North Central

8
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Olivet Nazarene

10
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity Christian College Public Relations & Advertising Report

10
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Lewis University

12
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Dominican University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Dominican U Public Relations & Advertising Report

13
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at McKendree

14
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Monmouth, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Monmouth College

15
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Xavier University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Full SXU Public Relations & Advertising Report

15
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

North Park University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at North Park

17
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Elmhurst University

18
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Roosevelt

18

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois Tech

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options