2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Public Relations & Advertising School for You
Public Relations & Advertising is the #40 most popular major in Illinois with 930 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured Public Relations & Advertising Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Communication - Public Relations
Prepare to develop your skills in building mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their public audiences.
MA in Communication - Public Relations
Learn how to use the latest technology and tactics to manage the flow of information between brands and the public with your Master's in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations at Southern New Hampshire University.
MA in Communication - New Media & Marketing
Keep your skills and knowledge at the forefront of new media technologies with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois
Check out the public relations programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for public relations and advertising students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
Public Relations majors at UIUC take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $428, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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The excellent programs at Illinois Media School helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public relations and advertising schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Lombard, Illinois Media School is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
On average, public relations graduates from Illinois Media School take out $15,833 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois Media School Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
Public Relations majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $801.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Central College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Public Relations majors at North Central take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Illinois State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at Illinois State take out is $21,739. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $259.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois State University Report
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Bradley University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Peoria.
While working on their degree, public relations majors at Bradley accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $716, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for public relations and advertising students. Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus carry an average student debtload of $15,833.
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DePaul University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public relations and advertising students. It came in at #9 on the list. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
After completing their degree, public relations graduates from DePaul carry an average student debtload of $24,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $571, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Columbia College Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Columbia carry an average student debtload of $25,697. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $495.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Columbia College Chicago
Request InformationBest Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,190 |
| Ohio | 634 |
| Indiana | 322 |
| Wisconsin | 288 |
More Public Relations & Advertising Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Public Relations
One of 5 majors within the area of study, public relations and advertising has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Journalism | 13,552 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 15 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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