2023 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Illinois 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.
Featured Public Relations 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.
Top 10 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools
Our analysis found University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to be the best value school for public relations and advertising students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. 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.
UIUC also made our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #3.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
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The excellent programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public relations and advertising schools in Illinois. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Illinois State also did well on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois State University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Eastern Illinois University is a great value for public relations and advertising students. EIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Charleston.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EIU are $12,297 a year. While working on their degree, public relations majors at EIU accumulate an average of around $23,420 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Columbia undergraduate students pay an average of $27,786 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
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Out of the 15 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Bradley University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria.
Bradley undergraduate students pay an average of $36,360 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
Bradley excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list.
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Northwestern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public relations and advertising students. It came in at #6 on the list. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwestern are $60,768 per year.
Northwestern did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Northwestern University
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North Central College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
North Central undergraduate students pay an average of $42,206 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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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DePaul University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public relations and advertising programs. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DePaul are $42,012 a year. 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.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at DePaul University Report
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Loyola University Chicago landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public relations and advertising programs. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Loyola Chicago are $47,808 per year. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Loyola Chicago is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list.
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Trinity Christian College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public relations and advertising students. It came in at #10 on the list. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Palos Heights.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Trinity Christian are $33,275 a year.
Trinity Christian excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in Illinois list.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at Trinity Christian College Report
Request InformationBest Value Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
Other Related Public Relations 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.
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.
- 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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