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Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

14 Colleges
$34,445 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$42,000 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Relations & Advertising School for You

In 2020-2021, 861 degrees and certificates were awarded to public relations and advertising students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #99 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for public relations students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

Check out the public relations programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools

Our analysis found San Jose State University to be the best value school for public relations and advertising students who want to pursue a degree in California. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Jose.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, San Jose State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California list.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at San Jose State University Report

$6,846 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 14 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 2 spot on the list. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at California State University - Long Beach

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA
$8,136 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 14 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a very large student population.

SDSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,136 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, public relations majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $17,390 in student debt.

Read More…

$7,060 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carson.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUDH are $7,060 a year.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at California State University - Dominguez Hills Report

#5

National University

La Jolla, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means National University is a great value for public relations and advertising students. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

National University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at National University

$37,018 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, California Baptist University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public relations and advertising students. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Riverside.

Cal Baptist undergraduate students pay an average of $37,018 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, public relations majors at Cal Baptist accumulate an average of around $26,125 in student debt.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at California Baptist University Report

$39,500 Average Tuition & Fees

Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public relations and advertising students. It came in at #7 on the list. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.

PLNU undergraduate students pay an average of $39,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Point Loma Nazarene University

#7

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA
$53,472 Average Tuition & Fees

University of San Francisco landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public relations and advertising programs. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USFCA are $53,472 per year. After completing their degree, public relations graduates from USFCA carry an average student debtload of $25,990.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USFCA also is in the top 15% of our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at University of San Francisco Report

#9

Biola University

La Mirada, CA
$44,382 Average Tuition & Fees

Biola University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of La Mirada, Biola is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Biola are $44,382 a year. After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Biola carry an average student debtload of $19,500.

Read More…

#10

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

Pepperdine University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public relations and advertising programs. Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Pepperdine are $59,702 a year. While working on their degree, public relations majors at Pepperdine accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $511.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Pepperdine University

Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 365
Oregon 659

One of 5 majors within the area of study, public relations and advertising has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 14 schools only.

  • 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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