Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 09.09. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 967 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 129 | 1,002 | $42,034 | $52,763 | $17,150 10 programs |
| Associate's degree | 52 | 432 | $36,320 | $53,309 | $12,000 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 486 | 15,060 | $47,943 | $63,560 | $22,500 150 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10 | 0 | $68,583 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 183 | 2,753 | $62,525 | $80,125 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 9 | 41 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 97 | 348 | $62,145 | $75,140 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State University ID · Public · 18 graduates measured | $62,275 | $61,544 | $18,425 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $55,009 | $72,626 | $15,875 |
| Illinois Media School IL · Private, for-profit · 26 graduates measured | $28,355 | $44,556 | $15,833 |
| Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus IL · Private, for-profit · 26 graduates measured | $28,355 | $44,556 | $15,833 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology NY · Public · 58 graduates measured | $41,209 | $54,879 | $12,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 233 graduates measured | $63,858 | $90,535 | $25,000 |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $63,370 | $85,459 | $21,000 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $63,165 | $87,946 | $12,500 |
| Endicott College MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $61,742 | $77,253 | $26,675 |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 204 graduates measured | $59,229 | $80,841 | $11,000 |
| Texas Christian University TX · Private, nonprofit · 74 graduates measured | $59,088 | $71,186 | $19,500 |
| Xavier University OH · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $57,978 | $60,642 | $21,500 |
| Chapman University CA · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $57,836 | $80,139 | $23,000 |
| Gonzaga University WA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $56,662 | $69,977 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 98 graduates measured | $56,398 | $89,330 | $18,500 |
| Pepperdine University CA · Private, nonprofit · 110 graduates measured | $56,348 | $81,417 | $21,500 |
| Otterbein University OH · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $56,346 | $58,065 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg PA · Public · 317 graduates measured | $55,985 | $76,246 | $25,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine PA · Public · 317 graduates measured | $55,985 | $76,246 | $25,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 317 graduates measured | $55,985 | $76,246 | $25,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $109,200 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 106 graduates measured | $94,623 | $115,091 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $91,173 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $83,910 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $83,910 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 75 graduates measured | $82,780 | $101,932 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 60 graduates measured | $81,217 | $96,250 | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $77,601 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas Tech University TX · Public · 53 graduates measured | $77,145 | $81,195 | Data unavailable |
| University of Oregon OR · Public · 46 graduates measured | $70,439 | $79,716 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 43 graduates measured | $70,073 | $76,478 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 43 graduates measured | $70,073 | $76,478 | Data unavailable |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 86 graduates measured | $69,990 | $90,212 | Data unavailable |
| Marist University NY · Private, nonprofit · 72 graduates measured | $67,921 | $90,060 | Data unavailable |
| California Baptist University CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $67,422 | $89,265 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and promotions managers | $133,660 | -3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations managers | $146,910 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraising managers | $125,470 | +5.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Human resources managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Training and development managers | $133,000 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes | $82,890 | +9.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | $72,550 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Training and development specialists | $69,280 | +10.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Health education specialists | $64,070 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Community health workers | $51,850 | +12.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Communications teachers, postsecondary | $78,580 | +2.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other | Data unavailable | +4.7% | No formal educational credential |
| Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys | $47,340 | -7.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | $62,200 | -5.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations specialists | $74,750 | +1.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Technical writers | $90,390 | +0.8% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (11)
- 09.0900 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
- 09.0901 Organizational Communication, General
- 09.0902 Public Relations/Image Management
- 09.0903 Advertising
- 09.0904 Political Communication
- 09.0905 Health Communication
- 09.0906 Sports Communication
- 09.0907 International and Intercultural Communication
- 09.0908 Technical and Scientific Communication
- 09.0909 Communication Management and Strategic Communications
- 09.0999 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other