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2025 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region

40 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
3,498 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$41,961 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public relations & advertising is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #52 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 40 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,498 degrees in public relations & advertising annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Relations & Advertising School

Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of public relations & advertising school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Public Relations & Advertising School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Public Relations & Advertising Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public relations degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Public Relations

1
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
568 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$45,158 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 568 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Michigan State University receive an earnings boost of around $3,197 over the typical income of public relations & advertising majors.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$82,421 Median Starting Salary

Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in public relations & advertising. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 44 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of about $40,460 above the average income of public relations & advertising graduates.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Northwestern 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
218 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$49,115 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 218 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public relations & advertising degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $7,154 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$40,583 Median Starting Salary

Marquette University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in public relations & advertising. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were about 100 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program report average early career earnings of $40,583.

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

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
193 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$43,031 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were about 193 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. After graduation, public relations degree recipients typically make about $43,031 in the first five years of their career.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the fringe town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 156 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent year we have data available. Public Relations & Advertising degree recipients from Miami University - Oxford get an earnings boost of around $8,739 above the average earnings of public relations & advertising graduates.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Miami University - Oxford

7
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

Butler is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Indianapolis. This university ranks 10th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 103 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Butler in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public relations degree recipients usually make an average of $39,701 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Butler 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
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
$38,020 Median Starting Salary

Ball State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Muncie. A Best Colleges rank of #181 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 98 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public relations program state that they receive average early career wages of $38,020.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Public Relations Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 138 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public relations program earn about $43,308 in their early career salary.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In OH

OHIO Athens is a fairly large public university located in the town of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 30 public relations & advertising students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public relations & advertising from Ohio University - Athens Campus

Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges by State

Explore the best public relations & advertising schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 1,190
Ohio 314 625
Illinois 304 917
Indiana 294 321
Wisconsin 273 288

View All Rankings >

Public Relations & Advertising is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.

Public Relations Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Advertising 1,059
Public Relations 621
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 455
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 390
General Organizational Communication 351
Sports Communication 218
Communication Management and Strategic Communications 214
Health Communication 156
Technical & Scientific Communication 20
Political Communication 7

View All Public Relations Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 8,345
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 3,493
Journalism 1,543
Communication & Journalism (Other) 120
Publishing 2

View All Public Relations Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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