Public Relations Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Public Relations maps to BLS occupations averaging about $92,215, with roughly 91,490 workers nationwide in those roles. About 3,461 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 57%.
Key Statistics
Public Relations: what the data shows
Common questions about public relations degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a public relations degree?
A Public Relations program is classified under NCES CIP 09.0902 in the Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication field family (09.09).
A program that focuses on the theories and methods for managing the media image of a business, organization, or individual and the communication process with stakeholders, constituencies, audiences, and the general public; and that prepares individuals to function as public relations assistants, technicians, and managers. Includes instruction in public relations theory; related principles of advertising, marketing, and journalism; message/image design; image management; special event management; media relations; community relations; public affairs; and internal communications
IPEDS counted 665 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of public relations degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 09.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Advertising (CIP 09.0903)
- Communication Management and Strategic Communications (CIP 09.0909)
- Health Communication (CIP 09.0905)
- International and Intercultural Communication (CIP 09.0907)
- Organizational Communication, General (CIP 09.0901)
- Political Communication (CIP 09.0904)
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (CIP 09.0902)
- Sports Communication (CIP 09.0906)
- Technical and Scientific Communication (CIP 09.0908)
How long does it take to get a public relations degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0902 in our file:
- 25 Associate (0.6% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 3,461 Bachelor's (89.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 399 Master's (10.3% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 2 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in public relations?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Public Relations Specialists (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 09.0902, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a public relations degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Public Relations to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 280,590 | $69,780 |
| Public Relations Managers | 76,060 | $138,520 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicators | 101,140 | $50,730 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 156,260 | $51,500 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a public relations degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication bachelor's program family: median debt $44,806, median earnings $63,560 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.12.
About 3.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,228 and median net price is $19,685.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Public Relations 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 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 programs.
Institutions awarding the most Public Relations degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Alabama | AL | 212 |
| 2 | University of Florida | FL | 173 |
| 3 | Boston University | MA | 170 |
| 4 | University of Georgia | GA | 158 |
| 5 | University of Oregon | OR | 149 |
| 6 | Texas State University | TX | 140 |
| 7 | Texas Tech University | TX | 138 |
| 8 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 134 |
| 9 | Syracuse University | NY | 126 |
| 10 | Auburn University | AL | 110 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
665 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Public Relations from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Public Relations.
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 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 programs.
Top 5 Lowest 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 average net price for Public Relations programs.
Graduation Rates
57.33% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.67% Average Graduation Rate
165 Institutions Reporting
46.85% - 75.03% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Public Relations programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Public Relations is in TX (442 completions). That state represents about 12.8% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is AL (0.48% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 442 | 12.8% | 0.15% |
| AL | 322 | 9.3% | 0.48% |
| FL | 313 | 9.0% | 0.14% |
| CA | 219 | 6.3% | 0.05% |
| NY | 207 | 6.0% | 0.07% |
| GA | 183 | 5.3% | 0.16% |
| OR | 149 | 4.3% | 0.34% |
| TN | 140 | 4.0% | 0.19% |
| MA | 137 | 4.0% | 0.11% |
| OH | 132 | 3.8% | 0.10% |
| WA | 122 | 3.5% | 0.18% |
| IA | 108 | 3.1% | 0.23% |
| RI | 102 | 3.0% | 0.40% |
| SC | 89 | 2.6% | 0.16% |
| UT | 86 | 2.5% | 0.08% |
| IL | 79 | 2.3% | 0.06% |
| KY | 77 | 2.2% | 0.15% |
| MI | 75 | 2.2% | 0.07% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 09.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Advertising CIP 09.0903
- Communication Management and Strategic Communications CIP 09.0909
- Health Communication CIP 09.0905
- International and Intercultural Communication CIP 09.0907
- Organizational Communication, General CIP 09.0901
- Political Communication CIP 09.0904
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication CIP 09.0902
- Sports Communication CIP 09.0906
- Technical and Scientific Communication CIP 09.0908
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0902 in the survey year used in our extract (3,887 total across levels below).
- 25 Associate (0.6% of IPEDS total)
- 3,461 Bachelor's (89.0% of IPEDS total)
- 399 Master's (10.3% of IPEDS total)
- 2 Doctorate (0.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $92,215. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Public Relations graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $95,096 | 280,590 |
| Public Relations Managers | $182,777 | 76,060 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicators | $81,733 | 101,140 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $64,234 | 156,260 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication CIP family (86 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Public Relations graduate.
- $44,806 median federal loan debt among completers
- $63,560 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.12 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 3.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$91,524 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Public Relations majors is $91,524.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Public Relations majors.
Occupations by Share
91,490 2023 Workforce
The number of Public Relations graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Public Relations by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Public Relations 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.
Age distribution for Public Relations degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
3,461 Total Degrees Awarded
609 Male (17.60%)
2,852 Female (82.40%)
Gender distribution of Public Relations degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
2,201 White (63.59%)
560 Hispanic or Latino (16.18%)
255 Black or African American (7.37%)
151 Two or More Races (4.36%)
112 Asian (3.24%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Public Relations degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Public Relations are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Public Relations.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Public Relations field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Public Relations majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Public Relations 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 majors.
About
A program that focuses on the theories and methods for managing the media image of a business, organization, or individual and the communication process with stakeholders, constituencies, audiences, and the general public; and that prepares individuals to function as public relations assistants, technicians, and managers. Includes instruction in public relations theory; related principles of advertising, marketing, and journalism; message/image design; image management; special event management; media relations; community relations; public affairs; and internal communications
In 2023, 665 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Public Relations.
CIP Code
09.0902 - Public Relations
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $44,806 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $63,560, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.12. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Public Relations graduate.
Women earned 81.1% of 4,061 Public Relations completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $92,215. The largest mapped role by headcount is Public Relations Specialists (280,590 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,228 in-state at public colleges and $36,298 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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.