---
title: Is a Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree worth the debt?
cip: 0909
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **180** colleges (180 of 180 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $36,914 ($37,506 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $23,250 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.61× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $33,542–$40,024 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $21,858 | $10,666 | 0.48× | 7 | 7/7 |
| Bachelor's | $36,914 | $23,250 | 0.61× | 180 | 180/180 |
| Master's | $51,147 | $44,159 | 0.85× | 31 | 31/31 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| San Jose State University (CA) | $49,739 | — |
| George Washington University (DC) | $47,727 | $23,250 |
| Syracuse University (NY) | $47,611 | $24,375 |
| Pepperdine University (CA) | $46,780 | $24,112 |
| University of Southern California (CA) | $46,759 | $19,500 |
| Assumption University (MA) | $46,406 | $27,000 |
| University of San Francisco (CA) | $45,954 | $24,000 |
| American University (DC) | $45,098 | $26,442 |
| The University of Texas at Austin (TX) | $44,918 | $20,402 |
| Miami University-Hamilton (OH) | $44,717 | $23,500 |
| Miami University-Middletown (OH) | $44,717 | $23,500 |
| Miami University-Oxford (OH) | $44,717 | $23,500 |
| Long Island University (NY) | $44,383 | — |
| Franklin University (OH) | $44,084 | $26,332 |
| Pace University (NY) | $43,914 | $24,525 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication.jsonld` · `/education/fields/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication.json`