Which state pays public relations and advertising bachelor's graduates the most?

Texas, where the median program pays its graduates $41,363 in their first year, the highest of 12 state rankings. Illinois is next, at $41,234.

How much debt do public relations and advertising bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $24,693 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 62% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Public Relations and Advertising (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

Q: Which public relations and advertising bachelor's program pays the most?

Syracuse University in New York reports the highest first-year pay of the 179 programs ranked here, $54,934. Its median federal debt is $26,000.

179 programs report first-year pay
12 state rankings
Bachelor's in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median public relations and advertising bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $39,677 in their first year and $58,304 five years after. Texas has the highest state median ($41,363), and Florida the lowest ($35,023). The median program leaves its graduates with $24,693 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$39,677Across 179 programs

Median pay after 5 years$58,304Across 149 programs

Median federal debt$24,693Across 169 programs

Debt-to-earnings62%Across 166 programs

All 179 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$54,934	Not adjusted	$83,644	$26,000	47%
2	SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$51,828	$53,400	$76,143	$19,750	38%
3	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$51,436	$52,027	$71,225	$11,975	23%
4	Assumption UniversityWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	$51,114	$48,332	$73,788	$27,000	53%
5	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$50,700	Not adjusted	$79,160	$25,000	49%
6	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$50,587	Not adjusted	$77,241	$24,693	49%
7	National UniversitySan Diego, CA · private nonprofit	$50,070	$45,222	Not reported	$30,622	61%
8	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$50,041	$45,196	$70,555	$20,251	40%
9	American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$50,026	Not adjusted	$94,957	$26,442	53%
10	Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$49,033	Not adjusted	$71,201	$24,500	50%
11	North Central CollegeNaperville, IL · private nonprofit	$48,549	$48,569	$66,959	$26,899	55%
12	Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion, IN · private nonprofit	$48,225	$51,672	Not reported	$32,082	67%
13	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$48,063	$48,083	$75,277	$23,250	48%
14	TCUFort Worth, TX · private nonprofit	$48,053	$49,510	$81,217	$24,148	50%
15	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$47,972	$49,427	$79,337	$20,995	44%
16	Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	$47,903	Not adjusted	$64,780	$27,000	56%
17	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$46,520	Not adjusted	$56,425	$27,799	60%
18	Franklin UniversityColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$46,518	$50,141	$47,326	$42,017	90%
19	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$46,039	$48,928	Not reported	$24,000	52%
20	Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA · private nonprofit	$45,988	$41,535	$75,482	$26,000	57%
21	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$45,820	$42,817	Not reported	$20,500	45%
22	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$45,759	Not adjusted	$58,847	$20,718	45%
23	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$45,326	$47,071	$73,502	$21,787	48%
24	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$45,275	Not adjusted	$59,011	$24,625	54%
25	Roger Williams UniversityBristol, RI · private nonprofit	$45,269	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	60%
26	Capital UniversityColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$45,235	$48,758	$48,600	$27,000	60%
27	Northwest UniversityKirkland, WA · private nonprofit	$45,209	Not adjusted	$56,919	Not reported	Not reported
28	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$45,158	$46,933	$71,448	$23,899	53%
29	Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$44,863	$42,421	Not reported	$27,000	60%
30	Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA · private nonprofit	$44,492	$50,696	$75,436	$23,250	52%
31	Pace UniversityNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$44,485	$41,220	$68,352	$25,000	56%
32	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$44,197	$39,918	$69,123	$17,038	39%
33	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$43,917	Not adjusted	$75,837	$18,000	41%
34	Illinois StateNormal, IL · public	$43,874	$43,892	$62,349	$22,500	51%
35	University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · public	$43,755	$49,856	$57,636	$21,096	48%
36	Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT · private nonprofit	$43,591	Not adjusted	$73,088	$23,250	53%
37	Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	$43,318	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,375	54%
38	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$43,308	$43,326	$67,395	$25,000	58%
39	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$42,974	Not adjusted	$66,664	$24,250	56%
40	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$42,530	$48,461	$63,153	$24,750	58%
41	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$42,472	$43,760	$57,785	$23,800	56%
42	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$42,445	Not adjusted	$64,089	$25,000	59%
43	Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO · private nonprofit	$42,421	$46,710	$48,750	Not reported	Not reported
44	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$42,296	Not adjusted	$59,879	$22,519	53%
45	CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	$42,218	$40,968	Not reported	$19,433	46%
46	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · public	$42,181	Not adjusted	$74,225	$23,000	55%
47	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$42,173	$45,905	$62,859	$21,368	51%
48	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$42,168	$46,800	$58,750	$23,258	55%
49	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$42,159	Not adjusted	$71,111	$21,500	51%
50	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$42,099	$40,709	$72,397	$17,439	41%
51	Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY · private nonprofit	$42,030	$38,945	$72,155	$24,000	57%
52	Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH · private nonprofit	$41,958	Not adjusted	$58,699	$26,515	63%
53	Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA · private nonprofit	$41,925	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
54	Northwood UniversityMidland, MI · private nonprofit	$41,857	$43,503	$61,166	$20,250	48%
55	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$41,842	Not adjusted	$52,164	$24,225	58%
56	UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	$41,703	$42,968	$57,292	$22,639	54%
57	Marymount Manhattan CollegeNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$41,696	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	60%
58	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$41,460	$43,056	Not reported	$26,000	63%
59	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$41,458	Not adjusted	$53,562	$23,250	56%
60	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$41,420	$43,049	$54,771	$24,755	60%
61	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$41,396	$44,620	$53,071	$27,000	65%
62	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$41,306	$42,930	$58,814	$27,000	65%
63	University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$41,278	Not adjusted	$54,276	Not reported	Not reported
64	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$41,234	$41,251	$68,064	$24,500	59%
65	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$41,165	$42,189	$63,387	$26,000	63%
66	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$41,060	$39,704	$57,845	$13,849	34%
67	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$41,023	$42,267	$58,729	$21,500	52%
68	Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · public	$40,976	$38,291	$55,380	$23,342	57%
69	Loras CollegeDubuque, IA · private nonprofit	$40,938	Not adjusted	$58,304	$26,581	65%
70	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$40,867	$44,050	$59,496	$25,000	61%
71	Arkansas StateJonesboro, AR · public	$40,812	$46,944	Not reported	$23,250	57%
72	Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	$40,762	$43,214	Not reported	$27,000	66%
73	Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ · private nonprofit	$40,602	$37,316	Not reported	$19,439	48%
74	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$40,583	Not adjusted	$64,008	$25,000	62%
75	Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC · public	$40,487	Not adjusted	$48,026	$27,000	67%
76	Wingate UniversityWingate, NC · private nonprofit	$40,438	$42,870	$60,460	$25,400	63%
77	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$40,411	$41,636	$57,471	$21,764	54%
78	Wilmington UniversityNew Castle, DE · private nonprofit	$40,408	Not adjusted	Not reported	$32,308	80%
79	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$40,346	$41,932	$60,505	$27,000	67%
80	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$40,299	$41,883	Not reported	$24,975	62%
81	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$40,178	$44,241	$62,059	$23,329	58%
82	Coe CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · private nonprofit	$40,167	Not adjusted	$63,889	Not reported	Not reported
83	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$40,143	$37,197	$57,301	$24,975	62%
84	Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit	$40,141	$36,255	$75,336	$22,625	56%
85	Southeast Missouri StateCape Girardeau, MO · public	$40,127	$44,184	$67,273	$25,000	62%
86	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$39,819	$43,343	Not reported	$25,000	63%
87	South Dakota StateBrookings, SD · public	$39,795	Not adjusted	$50,823	$27,000	68%
88	Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$39,794	$39,811	$56,607	$26,000	65%
89	Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN · private nonprofit	$39,701	$42,539	$54,854	$26,176	66%
90	Siena Heights UniversityAdrian, MI · private nonprofit	$39,677	$41,237	$52,812	$24,900	63%
91	Montana State University BillingsBillings, MT · public	$39,666	Not adjusted	Not reported	$17,653	45%
92	Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$39,651	$40,638	$57,855	$26,000	66%
93	Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$39,446	Not adjusted	$66,212	$23,250	59%
94	University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO · public	$39,401	Not adjusted	$47,415	$26,000	66%
95	North Dakota StateFargo, ND · public	$39,223	$44,091	$58,541	$25,000	64%
96	Minnesota State MoorheadMoorhead, MN · public	$39,198	Not adjusted	$54,974	$22,312	57%
97	Howard UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$39,120	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	66%
98	Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$39,013	$36,456	$71,987	$26,000	67%
99	Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	$38,798	$35,042	$56,022	$13,000	34%
100	Dallas Baptist UniversityDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$38,613	$39,784	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
101	Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	$38,600	$35,476	$66,886	$25,000	65%
102	Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public	$38,488	$39,446	$50,649	$26,000	68%
103	Ferris StateBig Rapids, MI · public	$38,375	$39,884	$53,599	$22,580	59%
104	Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL · public	$38,369	$38,385	Not reported	$23,745	62%
105	Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL · private nonprofit	$38,351	$38,367	$56,266	$26,819	70%
106	St. John's UniversityQueens, NY · private nonprofit	$38,210	$35,406	$65,272	$26,848	70%
107	UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC · public	$38,190	$40,487	Not reported	$19,500	51%
108	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$38,172	$39,673	$55,205	$26,377	69%
109	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$38,136	$39,935	$47,892	$26,000	68%
110	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$38,054	$42,208	$44,245	$22,250	58%
111	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$38,027	$40,989	$52,698	$26,750	70%
112	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$38,020	$40,738	$54,927	$23,879	63%
113	University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$37,856	$34,191	$89,358	$23,250	61%
114	Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · public	$37,718	$39,201	$57,951	$27,000	72%
115	Otterbein UniversityWesterville, OH · private nonprofit	$37,430	$40,345	$63,902	$23,800	64%
116	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$37,388	$36,154	$58,523	$18,750	50%
117	GCUPhoenix, AZ · private nonprofit	$37,307	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,100	67%
118	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$37,203	$34,472	$58,896	$26,000	70%
119	Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$37,125	$38,049	Not reported	$27,000	73%
120	George Fox UniversityNewberg, OR · private nonprofit	$37,012	$35,808	Not reported	$23,250	63%
121	University of TampaTampa, FL · private nonprofit	$36,977	$35,756	$71,966	$25,000	68%
122	Franklin CollegeFranklin, IN · private nonprofit	$36,964	$39,606	Not reported	$27,000	73%
123	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$36,920	$36,672	$54,715	$21,625	59%
124	Fashion Institute of TechnologyNew York, NY · public	$36,849	$34,144	$66,374	$21,500	58%
125	RITRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$36,664	Not adjusted	$63,502	$27,000	74%
126	Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove, PA · private nonprofit	$36,632	Not adjusted	$52,169	$27,000	74%
127	Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH · private nonprofit	$36,620	$39,472	$55,438	$26,500	72%
128	Evangel UniversitySpringfield, MO · private nonprofit	$36,585	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
129	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$36,559	$38,758	$55,221	$21,500	59%
130	York College of PennsylvaniaYork, PA · private nonprofit	$36,557	Not adjusted	$60,983	$25,724	70%
131	University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	$36,388	$41,424	$48,739	$21,500	59%
132	Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	$36,319	$32,803	Not reported	$21,104	58%
133	Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · private nonprofit	$36,004	Not adjusted	$51,389	$25,000	69%
134	University of VermontBurlington, VT · public	$35,931	Not adjusted	$58,211	$24,125	67%
135	West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX · public	$35,658	$36,739	$46,179	$21,419	60%
136	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$35,649	$37,021	$57,561	$25,000	70%
137	University of PortlandPortland, OR · private nonprofit	$35,605	Not adjusted	$64,521	$20,828	58%
138	University of ScrantonScranton, PA · private nonprofit	$35,568	Not adjusted	$67,156	$26,000	73%
139	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$35,534	$39,413	$49,056	$25,000	70%
140	Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	$35,444	$34,209	Not reported	$22,625	64%
141	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$35,177	$40,463	$48,074	$22,800	65%
142	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$35,116	$32,274	$57,437	$23,125	66%
143	Florida Southern CollegeLakeland, FL · private nonprofit	$35,023	$33,867	$58,724	$25,955	74%
144	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$34,920	$38,732	$47,383	$25,192	72%
145	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$34,752	Not adjusted	$54,597	$22,062	63%
146	University of Southern IndianaEvansville, IN · public	$34,736	$37,219	$55,050	$25,270	73%
147	FIUMiami, FL · public	$34,435	$33,298	Not reported	$12,000	35%
148	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$34,434	$39,038	$38,270	$26,000	76%
149	Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI · public	$34,319	Not adjusted	$52,585	Not reported	Not reported
150	USFTampa, FL · public	$34,105	$32,979	Not reported	$17,082	50%
151	Drury UniversitySpringfield, MO · private nonprofit	$33,862	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	69%
152	Harding UniversitySearcy, AR · private nonprofit	$33,577	Not adjusted	$50,607	$26,854	80%
153	UTEPEl Paso, TX · public	$33,280	$34,289	$45,106	$22,000	66%
154	Lee UniversityCleveland, TN · private nonprofit	$33,162	$36,097	$43,634	$27,000	81%
155	SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY · public	$33,126	$30,695	$50,633	$23,450	71%
156	Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA · private nonprofit	$32,879	Not adjusted	Not reported	$30,354	92%
157	California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	$32,782	$29,608	$46,015	$22,718	69%
158	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$32,741	$33,117	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
159	Husson UniversityBangor, ME · private nonprofit	$32,714	$33,708	$41,065	$27,000	83%
160	Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · private nonprofit	$32,713	$31,633	Not reported	$23,125	71%
161	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$32,601	$31,635	Not reported	$30,875	95%
162	Point Park UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$32,495	$33,304	$58,670	$28,850	89%
163	Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO · private nonprofit	$32,000	$35,236	$40,468	$27,000	84%
164	Campbell UniversityBuies Creek, NC · private nonprofit	$31,953	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,250	70%
165	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$31,093	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,847	67%
166	Dalton State CollegeDalton, GA · public	$29,594	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
167	Ashland UniversityAshland, OH · private nonprofit	$29,437	Not adjusted	$53,786	$27,125	92%
168	Anderson University (South Carolina)Anderson, SC · private nonprofit	$29,215	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
169	Emerson CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$28,606	Not adjusted	$63,073	$24,625	86%
170	FAMUTallahassee, FL · public	$28,516	$27,575	$39,897	$26,625	93%
171	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$28,226	$25,493	Not reported	$23,012	82%
172	Morgan StateBaltimore, MD · public	$28,091	$26,764	$44,139	$31,875	113%
173	Morehead StateMorehead, KY · public	$27,737	$30,765	$41,264	$24,000	87%
174	Youngstown StateYoungstown, OH · public	$27,068	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
175	Benedict CollegeColumbia, SC · private nonprofit	$26,891	$28,684	Not reported	$38,250	142%
176	Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL · private for-profit	$26,728	Not adjusted	Not reported	$32,103	120%
177	Manhattan UniversityRiverdale, NY · private nonprofit	$26,502	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,832	97%
178	Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL · private nonprofit	$24,202	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
179	Universidad del Sagrado CorazonSanturce, PR · private nonprofit	$13,085	Not adjusted	$28,598	$12,375	95%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 118 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 61, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

13 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

Public Relations and Advertising (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's public relations and advertising bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Texas	10	$41,363	$21,764
2	Illinois	9	$41,234	$24,750
3	Ohio	12	$41,132	$26,515
4	Michigan	11	$40,299	$24,938
5	California	10	$39,470	$22,625
6	Missouri	7	$39,401	$25,000
7	New York	12	$38,828	$25,000
8	North Carolina	5	$38,190	$22,250
9	Indiana	5	$38,020	$26,176
10	Pennsylvania	9	$37,125	$26,000
11	Kentucky	6	$36,794	$24,425
12	Florida	11	$35,023	$18,750

Programs in 31 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

FIU, FL$12,000
Cal State Dominguez Hills, CA$13,000
Florida State, FL$13,849
San Diego State, CA$17,038
USF, FL$17,082
University of Florida, FL$17,439
University of Miami, FL$18,000
UCF, FL$18,750
UNC Charlotte, NC$19,500
SMU, TX$19,750

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 101 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to public relations and advertising, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Training and Development Specialists

$69,280

Median pay in the US. 458,300 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, with about 46,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $38,760Top 10%: $123,250

Public Relations Specialists

$74,750

Median pay in the US. 283,380 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $44,110Top 10%: $135,150

Human Resources Managers

$149,280

Median pay in the US. 220,660 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $88,200Top 10%: $267,810

Fundraisers

$72,550

Median pay in the US. 111,040 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $46,630Top 10%: $115,820

Common questions

The median public relations and advertising bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $39,677 in their first year and $58,304 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024