Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Relations & Advertising
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Education Levels of Public Relations Majors
In 2018-2019, 16,785 bachelor's degrees were awarded to public relations majors. This earns it the #31 spot on the list of the most popular bachelor's degree programs in the nation.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in public relations at each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 16,785 |
Master’s Degree | 2,249 |
Associate’s Degree | 402 |
Basic Certificate | 401 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 198 |
Graduate Certificate | 101 |
Doctor’s Degree | 20 |
Earnings of Public Relations Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in public relations is $35,000. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.
A better approximation of salary is to look at the typical range of salaries. In this case the low is $32,400 and the high is $36,900.

Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in public relations is $24,237. The school you go to and how long it takes you to graduate, among other things, can cause this number to vary.
The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $26,014 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $21,250.

The median monthly payment of a public relations graduate with a 10-year repayment plan is $252.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their bachelor's degree in public relations. About 72.9% of graduates with this degree are female.
Gender | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Men | 4,546 |
Women | 12,239 |

The racial-ethnic distribution of public relations bachelor’s degree students is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 546 |
Black or African American | 1,406 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,988 |
White | 11,127 |
International Students | 672 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 1,046 |

Most Popular Public Relations Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 400 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in public relations. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
University of Oregon tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for public relations majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree. Roughly 22,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,440 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,958 per year.
The public relations program at University of Oregon awarded 530 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. About 73% of this group were women, and 26% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Michigan State University is the 2nd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Roughly 49,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,555 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,858 per year.
The public relations program at Michigan State University awarded 496 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 59% were women and 15% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The University of Texas at Austin comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Each year, around 51,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,824 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,998 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 459 people received their bachelor's degree in public relations from UT Austin. Of these students, 75% were women and 45% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The University of Alabama comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Each year, around 38,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,780 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,780 per year.
The public relations program at The University of Alabama awarded 409 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. Around 14% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 82% were women.
University of Florida comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Each year, around 52,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,477 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,770 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 402 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at UF. Of these students, 80% were women and 39% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Southern New Hampshire University comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Each year, around 113,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $30,756 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,810 per year.
The public relations program at Southern New Hampshire University awarded 396 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 68% were women and 25% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 37,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,728 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,826 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 389 people received their bachelor's degree in public relations from CU - Boulder. Of these students, 75% were women and 20% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Texas State University is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Each year, around 38,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,052 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,751 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 345 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at Texas State. Of these students, 70% were women and 47% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Temple University comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 38,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,080 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,956 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 329 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at Temple. About 73% of this group were women, and 34% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Georgia comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 38,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,790 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,878 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 327 people received their bachelor's degree in public relations from UGA. Around 19% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 85% were women.
Pennsylvania State University - University Park is the 11th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Roughly 91,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,416 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $21,960 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 296 people received their bachelor's degree in public relations from Penn State University Park. Around 13% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 86% were women.
Texas Tech University comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 38,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,744 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $5,958 per year.
The public relations program at Texas Tech University awarded 280 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. About 63% of this group were women, and 33% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Fashion Institute of Technology is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Roughly 8,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,070 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,542 per year.
The public relations program at Fashion Institute of Technology awarded 279 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. About 87% of this group were women, and 39% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
DePaul University is the 14th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Roughly 22,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $40,551 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $19,584 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 267 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at DePaul. Of these students, 69% were women and 33% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Nebraska - Lincoln comes in at #15 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 25,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,560 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $5,976 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 235 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at UNL. Of these students, 63% were women and 15% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of South Carolina - Columbia is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public relations. Each year, around 35,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,288 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,737 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 232 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at UofSC. Of these students, 72% were women and 14% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 17th most popular school in the country for public relations majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Syracuse University. Roughly 22,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $50,616 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $38,880 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 221 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at Syracuse. Of these students, 76% were women and 19% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Roughly 51,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,188 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,997 per year.
The public relations program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign awarded 219 bachelor's degrees during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 66% were women and 27% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Washington State University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public relations. Each year, around 31,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,953 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,493 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 214 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at Wazzu. About 69% of this group were women, and 28% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 20th most popular school in the country for public relations majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Miami University - Oxford. Each year, around 19,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,324 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,677 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 183 bachelor's degrees were handed out to public relations majors at Miami University - Oxford. About 72% of this group were women, and 16% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to public relations that offer bachelor’s degrees.
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Communication & Media Studies | 55,113 |
Journalism | 12,988 |
Radio, TV & Digital Communication | 10,624 |
Other Communication & Journalism | 1,002 |
Publishing | 37 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By Bill Koplitz under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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