Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates earn an average annual wage of $95,096, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 31,070 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,228 Median In-State Public
$36,298 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors are, on average, $9,228 for in-state public colleges, and $36,298 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 156,755 |
| 2 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 68,619 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 5 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Monica College | CA | $1,156 |
| 2 | Santiago Canyon College | CA | $1,164 |
| 3 | Orange Coast College | CA | $1,208 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Harbor College | CA | $1,238 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Pierce College | CA | $1,238 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coahoma Community College | MS | $560 |
| 2 | Cerritos College | CA | $693 |
| 3 | Texas A & M International University | TX | $3,061 |
| 4 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | $3,107 |
| 5 | Santiago Canyon College | CA | $3,407 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs.
Graduation Rates
58.49% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.39% Average Graduation Rate
95 Institutions Reporting
48.47% - 70.60% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$95,096 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors is $95,096.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors.
Occupations by Share
31,070 2023 Workforce
The number of Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Age distribution for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication majors.
About
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
CIP Code
00.0909 - Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
Insights and Analysis
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.