2023 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor's Degree 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 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Public Relations & Advertising program at each school on the list.
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.
2023 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois
Check out the public relations bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Illinois.
Top 10 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the most popular school in Illinois for public relations and advertising students working on their bachelor’s degree. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.
Women make up 69% of the public relations majors at the school.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, public relations graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $19,396. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $428, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 19 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the # 2 spot on the list. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
Of the 189 students majoring in public relations at DePaul, 32% are male and 68% are female.
The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at DePaul take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,529. 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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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Loyola University Chicago helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular public relations and advertising schools in Illinois. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Women make up 82% of the public relations majors at the school.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, public relations graduates from Loyola Chicago carry an average student debt load of $22,707. 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 Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 89 students majoring in public relations at Illinois State, 33% are male and 67% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, public relations majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $22,130 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $259.
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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Bradley University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular public relations and advertising schools in Illinois. Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.
About 46% of the students majoring in public relations at the school are women while 54% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, public relations majors at Bradley accumulate an average of around $23,199 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.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Bradley University
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Columbia College Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Of the 26 students majoring in public relations at Columbia, 35% are male and 65% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, public relations majors at Columbia accumulate an average of around $27,092 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $495.
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Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Charleston.
Of the 25 students majoring in public relations at EIU, 16% are male and 84% are female.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Eastern Illinois University
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With a ranking of #8, North Central College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public relations and advertising students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Of the 11 students majoring in public relations at North Central, 18% are male and 82% are female.
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With a ranking of #8, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public relations and advertising students working on their bachelor’s degree. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais.
About 82% of the students majoring in public relations at the school are women while 18% are male.
Full Public Relations & Advertising at Olivet Nazarene University Report
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Trinity Christian College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Palos Heights.
Women make up 89% of the public relations majors at the school.
Request InformationBest Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,190 |
| Ohio | 634 |
| Indiana | 322 |
| Wisconsin | 288 |
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.
Public Relations & Advertising Related Majors
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 19 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.