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Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

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2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

14 Colleges
$42,000 Avg Salary
$25,931 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Relations & Advertising School for You

Public Relations & Advertising is the #11 most popular major in California with 861 degrees and certificates awarded in <nil>.

It's not easy to decide which business program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Business Degree Central has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for business students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges.

Top 10 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools

#1

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

Our analysis found Pepperdine University to be the best school for public relations & advertising students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, public relations majors at Pepperdine accumulate an average of around $24,112 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $941.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California list. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Jose.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at San Jose State University Report

Out of the 14 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

On average, public relations graduates from USC take out $50,963 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $547.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of Southern California

#4

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of San Francisco is a great place for public relations & advertising students. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Public Relations majors at USFCA take out an average of $24,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at University of San Francisco

#5

Chapman University

Orange, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chapman University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, public relations majors at Chapman accumulate an average of around $22,250 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $735.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Chapman University

With a ranking of #6, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public relations & advertising students. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Point Loma Nazarene University

#7

Biola University

La Mirada, CA

Biola University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public relations & advertising programs. Located in the large suburb of La Mirada, Biola is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

On average, public relations graduates from Biola take out $20,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Public Relations & Advertising at Biola University

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public relations & advertising students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at SDSU take out is $16,111. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $263, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at San Diego State University Report

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public relations & advertising students. It came in at #9 on the list. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Azusa.

The average amount in student loans that public relations majors at Azusa Pacific take out is $18,493.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at Azusa Pacific University Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in California ranking. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

On average, public relations graduates from CSULB take out $22,976 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Relations & Advertising at California State University - Long Beach Report

Best Public Relations & Advertising Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Public Relations & Advertising Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 360
Oregon 655

Public Relations Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations 5,039
Advertising 4,655
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 4,517
General Organizational Communication 1,905
Communication Management and Strategic Communications 1,802
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication 1,409
Sports Communication 943
Health Communication 424
Technical & Scientific Communication 203
Political Communication 195
International & Intercultural Communication 183

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Bill Koplitz.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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