2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Public Relations & Advertising is the 53rd most popular major in the country with 20,229 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, public relations and advertising graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,513 and had an average of $25,130 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 2,543 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,827 and $23,037 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,269 public relations and advertising graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public relations and advertising. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public relations and advertising programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public relations and advertising program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 567 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $18,023 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at UT Austin
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Tech University is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $17,571 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Texas Tech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school handed out 315 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid list, Texas State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $15,230 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Full Texas State University Public Relations & Advertising Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 154 students in 2019-2020.
UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,838 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid per year to attend ASU - Tempe.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at ASU - Tempe
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 122 students in 2019-2020.
OSU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,648 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Public Relations & Advertising Report
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 85 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $8,920 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
University of North Texas ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 9 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $15,086 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Central Oklahoma did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. UCO is a fairly large school located in Edmond, Oklahoma that handed out 77 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
UCO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $16,562 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Northern Arizona University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
NAU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,915 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid per year to attend NAU.
Stephen F Austin State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
SFASU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $13,723 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Stephen F Austin State University
With a ranking of #12, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Texas A&M University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $12,761 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at West Texas A&M University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 87 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Public Relations & Advertising Report
Lamar University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public relations degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
Lamar University also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $12,311 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid per year to attend Lamar University.
Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Lamar University
Oral Roberts University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. ORU is a small school located in Tulsa, Oklahoma that handed out 20 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
ORU also made our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Oral Roberts University is $22,248 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Relations students with aid.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Oral Roberts University
Grand Canyon University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
Grand Canyon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $21,020 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid per year to attend Grand Canyon University.
Full Grand Canyon University Public Relations & Advertising Report
Dallas Baptist University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dallas Baptist University is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s public relations degrees to qualified students.
DBU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DBU is $26,387 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Full Dallas Baptist University Public Relations & Advertising Report
With a ranking of #18, Abilene Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Abilene, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid list, Abilene Christian has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Abilene Christian University is $26,809 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Read more about Public Relations & Advertising at Abilene Christian
Saint Edward’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Edward’s University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $24,833 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid per year to attend Saint Edward’s University.
Full St. Edward’s University Public Relations & Advertising Report
Texas Christian University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Christian University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Worth, Texas. It awarded 105 bachelors’s public relations degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at TCU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Christian University is $36,811 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Southern Methodist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Relations Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dallas, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 98 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public relations students in 2019-2020.
SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Relations & Advertising Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Methodist University is $36,222 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public relations students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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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