College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Public Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region

16 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
621 PR Degrees Awarded
Public Relations is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #138 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 621 degrees in public relations annually.

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

Choosing a Great Public Relations School

Best Public Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region The pr program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Relations rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public relations 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.

Pick Your Public Relations Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in PR
Master's Degrees in PR

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Relations Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 in the Great Lakes Region

The schools below may not offer all types of pr degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in PR

1
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WI
47 PR Degrees Awarded

Marquette University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in public relations. Marquette is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Milwaukee. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were about 47 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public relations from Marquette University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In OH
85 PR Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of Cincinnati - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in public relations. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 85 public relations students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

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
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
78 PR Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in public relations has to look into Illinois State University. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 78 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from Illinois State University

4
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
53 PR Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in public relations needs to check out Central Michigan University. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #346 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Central Michigan is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from Central Michigan University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In OH
37 PR Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.

There were about 37 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public relations from Kent State University at Kent

6
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In OH

Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Xavier is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #277 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Xavier is a great university overall.

There were roughly 14 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Xavier in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from Xavier University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL

Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #212 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great college overall.

There were approximately 12 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public relations from Columbia College Chicago

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
2nd Most Popular In OH

Located in the city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 27 public relations students who graduated with this degree at University of Akron Main Campus in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public relations from University of Akron Main Campus

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
39 PR Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 39 public relations students who graduated with this degree at Wayne State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from Wayne State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In OH

Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 18th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 10 public relations students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public relations from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

Best Public Relations Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 939 356
Michigan 915 184
Illinois 870 151
Indiana 737 35
Wisconsin 672 50

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Public Relations & Advertising area of study, Public Relations has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to PR

Related Major Annual Graduates
Advertising 1,059
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
International & Intercultural Communication 7

View All PR Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options