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2024 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools

262 Colleges in the United States
21,275 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$38,341 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.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 262 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public relations & advertising students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 21,275 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 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 United States

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Public Relations

1
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$76,798 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Georgetown University if you wish to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 140 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of approximately $38,457 over the average income of public relations & advertising majors.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
178 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$49,816 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 178 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of about $11,475 over the average income of public relations & advertising graduates.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Southern California

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
554 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$44,609 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you want to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 554 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $6,268 more than the typical public relations student.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from The University of Texas at Austin

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$59,798 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 44 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 receive $21,457 more than the average public relations graduate.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
404 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
63.4% Growth in Graduates

Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 404 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Boston University receive $17,502 more than the typical public relations grad.

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

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
386 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$40,235 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 386 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. After graduating, public relations degree recipients usually earn around $40,235 in the first five years of their career.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 130 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising major at George Washington University make $17,360 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
176 Public Relations Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 176 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$46,780 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 127 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Pepperdine University get an earnings boost of around $8,439 above the typical earnings of public relations & advertising majors.

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

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
21.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 137 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from Southern Methodist University make $4,265 more than the average public relations grad.

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

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
568 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$38,973 Median Starting Salary

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 568 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 report average early career wages of $38,973.

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

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
218 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$54,541 Median Starting Salary

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 about 218 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $16,200 more than the typical public relations graduate.

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

13
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$40,082 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 169 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program make around $40,082 in the first couple years of working.

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

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #72 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 391 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program state that they receive average early career earnings of $40,201.

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

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
358 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$50,861 Median Starting Salary

Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse. This university ranks 12th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 358 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at Syracuse University earn $12,520 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

16
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
251 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$39,532 Median Starting Salary

UNL is a very large public university located in the city of Lincoln. This university ranks 2nd out of 19 colleges for overall quality in the state of Nebraska.

There were about 251 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program report average early career wages of $39,532.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
363 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were roughly 363 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UA in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public relations program earn around $38,904 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from The University of Alabama

18
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$37,662 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 285 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public relations degree recipients usually earn about $37,662 at the beginning of their careers.

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

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
310 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
1.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 310 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Wazzu in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program make around $39,530 for their early career.

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

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
499 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$36,861 Median Starting Salary

UO is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Eugene. This university ranks 2nd out of 30 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were about 499 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UO in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public relations program make an average of $36,861 in the first couple years of working.

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

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
35.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 159 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at TCU 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 wages of $39,394.

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

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
403 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$46,034 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. This university ranks 9th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 403 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Texas Tech University receive an earnings boost of approximately $7,693 above the average earnings of public relations & advertising majors.

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

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public university located in the town of Oxford. This university ranks 3rd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 156 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Miami University - Oxford receive an earnings boost of around $6,376 over the average earnings of public relations & advertising graduates.

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

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
427 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
5.4% Growth in Graduates

CU - Boulder is a fairly large public university located in the city of Boulder. This university ranks 2nd out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 427 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising program at University of Colorado Boulder earn $4,622 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Colorado Boulder

25
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
24.7% Growth in Graduates

The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 166 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Those public relations & advertising students who get their degree from American University receive $9,782 more than the standard public relations grad.

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

Rest of the Top Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools

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27
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
28
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32
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA

33

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37
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
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Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Public Relations & Advertising students that almost earned our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
40Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
41University of KentuckyLexington, KY
42University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
43Fashion Institute of TechnologyNew York, NY
44Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT
45University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
46Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA
47Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
48Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
49Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
50Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
51Belmont UniversityNashville, TN
52Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA

Public Relations & Advertising by Region

View the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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

Public Relations Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Public Relations5,039
Advertising4,655
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication4,517
General Organizational Communication1,905
Communication Management and Strategic Communications1,802
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication1,409
Sports Communication943
Health Communication424
Technical & Scientific Communication203
Political Communication195

View All Public Relations Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies62,855
Radio, Television & Digital Communication18,286
Journalism12,911
Communication & Journalism (Other)1,349
Publishing318

View All Public Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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