by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, public relations, advertising, and applied communication was the 170th most popular major nationwide with 4,203 degrees awarded. This represents a 8.9% increase in public relations, advertising, and applied communication degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 3,827.
This year's Best Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools ranking compares 87 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs later in this article.
When studying Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, you’ll learn that giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Talking to others to convey information effectively and communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific public relations, advertising, and applied communication careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in public relations, advertising, and applied communication to something that takes less time like a . Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication, with approximately 56.0% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 59.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 20.3% |
| Some College Courses | 5.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 3.6% |
| High School Diploma | 2.6% |
About 89.3% of workers in careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication obtain at least bachelor's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in public relations, advertising, and applied communication have received.
This of course varies depending on which public relations, advertising, and applied communication career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your public relations, advertising, and applied communication degree? Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication careers are expected to grow 9.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to public relations, advertising, and applied communication.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 282,600 | 8.9% |
| Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | 81,100 | 10.3% |
| Communications Professors | 37,500 | 10.0% |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | 33,000 | 5.4% |
As you might expect, salaries for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers public relations, advertising, and applied communication grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $133,090 |
| Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | $131,570 |
| Communications Professors | $78,090 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $68,440 |
With over 251 different public relations, advertising, and applied communication degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased public relations, advertising, and applied communication school rankings to help you with this.
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication is one of 10 different types of Public Relations & Advertising programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Relations | 5,216 |
| Advertising | 4,918 |
| General Organizational Communication | 2,013 |
| Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication | 1,553 |
| Communication Management and Strategic Communications | 1,397 |
View All Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Related Majors >
Image Credit: By Bill Koplitz under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
