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2024 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region

50 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
3,669 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$37,239 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public relations & advertising is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #52 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 50 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,669 degrees in public relations & advertising to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Relations & Advertising School

Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of public relations & advertising school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Public Relations & Advertising School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Public Relations & Advertising Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Public Relations
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Relations
Master's Degrees in Public Relations
Doctor's Degrees in Public Relations

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public relations degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Public Relations

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in public relations & advertising. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $22,559 more than the average public relations graduate.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Northwestern University

2
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
588 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 588 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program state that they receive average early career earnings of $38,973.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Michigan State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
247 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$54,541 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 247 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn a boost of about $17,302 over the typical income of public relations & advertising graduates.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$44,717 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in public relations & advertising needs to look into Miami University - Oxford. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public university located in the fringe town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 146 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at Miami University - Oxford earn $7,478 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Miami University - Oxford

5
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,449 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #130 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were roughly 103 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Marquette University make $2,210 more than the typical public relations student.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Marquette University

6
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$44,422 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were about 217 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at DePaul University get $7,183 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from DePaul University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 127 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $3,150 above the average income of public relations & advertising majors.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Loyola University Chicago

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$36,966 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 14th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 69 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program state that they receive average early career wages of $36,966.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Bradley University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In OH
32 Public Relations Degrees Awarded

OHIO Athens is a very large public university located in the distant town of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #239 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 32 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Ohio University - Athens Campus

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
4.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #205 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 111 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public relations degree recipients generally make an average of $36,791 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Ball State University

Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges by State

Explore the best public relations & advertising schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 1,190
Ohio 314 625
Illinois 304 917
Indiana 294 321
Wisconsin 273 288

View All Rankings >

Public Relations & Advertising is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.

Public Relations Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Advertising 1,126
Public Relations 860
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 486
General Organizational Communication 401
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 363
Health Communication 181
Sports Communication 144
Communication Management and Strategic Communications 60
International & Intercultural Communication 19
Technical & Scientific Communication 18

View All Public Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 9,064
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 3,416
Journalism 1,618
Communication & Journalism (Other) 138
Publishing 2

View All Public Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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