College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in California

25 Ranked Colleges
906 Degrees Awarded
$35,400 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California” 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 California, there were 906 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,000 and $23,490 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in public relations and advertising. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in public relations and advertising.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Relations & Advertising Schools

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

The public relations school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California”.

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 178 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Public Relations & Advertising Report

2
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pepperdine University landed the #2 spot on the list. Pepperdine is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Pepperdine University

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified ’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at CSUDH

4
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 80 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Jose State Public Relations & Advertising Report

5
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Chapman University landed the #5 spot on the list. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Chapman

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 54 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 California State University - Long Beach

7
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 53 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 89%.

Full San Diego State University Public Relations & Advertising Report

8
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at California Baptist University

9
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students 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 Biola

10
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 32 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 USFCA Public Relations & Advertising Report

11
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 19 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Point Loma Nazarene University

12
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at National University

13
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 10 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Azusa Pacific University

14

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Public Relations & Advertising Report

15
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

With a ranking of #15, Pacific Union College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Pacific Union College is a small school located in Angwin, California that handed out 8 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Pacific Union College

15
SMC crest
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California

With a ranking of #15, Santa Monica College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. SMC is a public institution located in Santa Monica, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SMC Public Relations & Advertising Report

17
Palomar College crest
Palomar College
San Marcos, California

Palomar College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking. Palomar College is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 16 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Palomar College Public Relations & Advertising Report

18
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking. Sacramento City College is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Sacramento City College

19
Cosumnes River crest
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento, California

Cosumnes River College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Cosumnes River College is located in Sacramento, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Cosumnes River

20
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #20, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified ’s public relations students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Public Relations & Advertising Report

20
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

Full American River Public Relations & Advertising Report

20
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #20, La Sierra University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 0 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 La Sierra University

20
Los Angeles City College crest
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles City College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Los Angeles City College is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 ’s public relations degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Los Angeles City College

20
Pierce College crest
Los Angeles Pierce College
Woodland Hills, California

Los Angeles Pierce College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. Los Angeles Pierce College is a fairly large public school situated in Woodland Hills, California. It awarded 1 ’s public relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Los Angeles Pierce College

20
Long Beach City College crest
Long Beach City College
Long Beach, California

With a ranking of #20, Long Beach City College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Relations Major in California list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public relations degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Long Beach City College

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