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2025 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

12 Colleges in California
922 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$41,961 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Relations & Advertising is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #52 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 12 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 922 degrees in public relations & advertising annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Relations & Advertising School

Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California The public relations program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public relations & advertising schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Public Relations & Advertising Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Relations
Master's Degrees in Public Relations

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in California

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public relations degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top California Schools in Public Relations

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
178 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$50,246 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in public relations & advertising has to take a look at University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 178 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at University of Southern California make $8,285 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Southern California

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$45,988 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in public relations & advertising needs to look into Pepperdine University. Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Malibu. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.

There were roughly 127 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Pepperdine University receive an earnings boost of around $4,027 above the typical income of public relations & advertising graduates.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Pepperdine University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Communication - Public Relations Program Name

Prepare to develop your skills in building mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their public audiences.

More information about a degree in BA in Communication - Public Relations from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$40,141 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Chapman University if you wish to pursue a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the medium-sized city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.

There were roughly 56 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, public relations degree recipients usually earn around $40,141 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Chapman University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$44,197 Median Starting Salary

San Diego State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 41 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from San Diego State University receive an earnings boost of about $2,236 above the average income of public relations & advertising majors.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from San Diego State University

5
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,856 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 22 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program earn an average of $37,856 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of San Francisco

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In CA
34 Public Relations Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Azusa Pacific is a great university overall.

There were about 34 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Azusa Pacific University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Relations Degrees Awarded

CLU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Thousand Oaks. This university ranks 88th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from California Lutheran University

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MA in Communication - Public Relations Program Name

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.

More information about a degree in MA in Communication - Public Relations from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$28,226 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 48 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program earn an average of $28,226 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from California State University - Long Beach

9
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$36,319 Median Starting Salary

Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of La Mirada. This university ranks 86th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 21 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Biola in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public relations program earn an average of $36,319 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Biola University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
16.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Carson, CSUDH is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 91st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 115 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at CSUDH in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, public relations degree recipients generally make an average of $38,798 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from California State University - Dominguez Hills

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

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 360
Oregon 266 655

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Public Relations & Advertising has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Relations Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations 289
Advertising 183
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 150
Communication Management and Strategic Communications 78
International & Intercultural Communication 59
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 58
Health Communication 56
General Organizational Communication 41
Technical & Scientific Communication 7
Political Communication 1

View All Public Relations Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 12,384
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 2,731
Journalism 1,546
Communication & Journalism (Other) 35
Publishing 1

View All Public Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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