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Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region

122 Colleges
$37,239 Avg Salary
$24,698 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Relations & Advertising School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, public relations and advertising was ranked #52 in the country. In fact 21,099 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 122 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones were the most popular programs 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.

Check out the public relations programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the Great Lakes Region .

#1

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Our analysis found Michigan State University to be the most popular school for public relations and advertising students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at Michigan State take out is $25,122. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $511.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for public relations and advertising students. UIUC is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $20,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $428, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

#3

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from DePaul carry an average student debt load of $24,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $571, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at DePaul University Report

The excellent programs at Grand Valley State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public relations and advertising schools in the Great Lakes Region . GVSU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Allendale.

Public Relations majors at GVSU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $286, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Grand Valley State University

The excellent programs at Miami University - Oxford helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public relations and advertising schools in the Great Lakes Region . Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in the fringe town of Oxford.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Miami University - Oxford carry an average student debt load of $24,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $511.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Miami University - Oxford Report

With a ranking of #6, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public relations and advertising students. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Loyola Chicago carry an average student debt load of $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $801.

Read More…

#7

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a public college with a large student population.

On average, public relations graduates from Cleveland State University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $140.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Cleveland State University Report

#8

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Ball State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public relations and advertising programs. Ball State is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie.

The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at Ball State take out is $24,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $331.

Read More…

#9

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at Marquette take out is $25,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $593, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Marquette University Report

#10

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI

Central Michigan University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Central Michigan carry an average student debt load of $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $258.

Read More…

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#12

Butler University

Indianapolis, IN

Butler University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Butler is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, public relations majors at Butler accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Butler University

Illinois State University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public relations and advertising programs. Located in the medium-sized 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. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Illinois State University

#14

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, IN

With a ranking of #14, Purdue University Global did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public relations and advertising students. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Purdue University Global is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Purdue University Global Report

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public relations and advertising students. It came in at #15 on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the midsize city of Akron.

On average, public relations graduates from University of Akron Main Campus take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $504, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at University of Akron Main Campus Report

#16

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI

Western Michigan University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public relations and advertising programs. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from WMU carry an average student debt load of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $328, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Western Michigan University Report

#17

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

With a ranking of #17, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public relations and advertising students. Bradley is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.

After completing their degree, public relations graduates from Bradley carry an average student debt load of $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $716.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Bradley University Report

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
19 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
20 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
21 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
22 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
23 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN
24 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH

Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges by State

Explore the best public relations and advertising colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 1,190
Ohio 634
Illinois 930
Indiana 322
Wisconsin 288

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 26 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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