2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 5,347 people earned their degree in public relations, making the major the 136th most popular in the United States.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,616 public relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,544 public relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in public relations. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public relations programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public relations program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, UF has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $13,649 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 89 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
Appalachian State also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Kentucky University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky that handed out 31 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NKU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,049 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $22,615 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Murray State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Murray State is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Murray State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $11,390 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid.
Georgia Southern University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia Southern University is located in Statesboro, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GaSou, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,536 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid per year to attend Georgia Southern University.
Western Kentucky University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. WKU is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s PR degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, WKU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,962 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid per year to attend WKU.
Read more about Public Relations at Western Kentucky University
University of Louisiana at Lafayette did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
UL Lafayette also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UL Lafayette is $12,487 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid.
With a ranking of #10, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Alabama is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 239 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $22,597 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend The University of Alabama.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UofSC is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 167 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UofSC also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $20,509 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #12, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.
UofM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,248 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend University of Memphis.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida A&M University also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is $15,060 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Public Relations Report
With a ranking of #14, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UT Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 61 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Knoxville, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,825 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Relations at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Harding University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Searcy, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s PR degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harding, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harding is $19,375 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern is a fairly large public school situated in Richmond, Kentucky. It awarded 31 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, Eastern has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Kentucky University is $14,149 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
Read more about Public Relations at Eastern Kentucky University
Lee University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cleveland, Tennessee, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
Lee University also made our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $17,696 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend Lee University.
Mississippi College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. MC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, MC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MC is $17,186 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid.
Auburn University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Auburn is a public institution located in Auburn, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Auburn, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,104 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree PR students with aid per year to attend Auburn University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Winthrop University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Rock Hill, South Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s PR degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
Winthrop did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winthrop University is $19,047 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
University of Florida-Online did quite well in the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this small public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,492 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend University of Florida-Online.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Miami landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Coral Gables, Florida, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s PR degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U Miami, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $46,949 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend U Miami.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Barry University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s PR degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid list, Barry University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barry University is $17,994 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
With a ranking of #24, Lipscomb University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s PR students in 2019-2020.
Lipscomb not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lipscomb University is $24,749 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Palm Beach Atlantic University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value PR Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. West Palm Beach, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s PR degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Palm Beach Atlantic did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Relations Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $25,887 for southeast region bachelor’s degree pr students with aid per year to attend Palm Beach Atlantic University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Relations at Palm Beach Atlantic University
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.
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