Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 85 graduates a year

$45,988
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$81,417
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,560
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#7 of 178
Rank by pay
#28 of 178
Rank, wage-adjusted
$24,112
Median federal debt

Pepperdine University graduates in public relations, advertising, and applied communication earn 28% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 30% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Pepperdine University Compares for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

All 178 colleges reporting public relations, advertising, and applied communication earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Syracuse University Syracuse, NY$90,535$86,171#3$54,934
2Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX$89,330$90,822#1$51,828
3University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$87,946$80,025#11$50,041
4George Washington University Washington, DC$85,459$74,884#27—
5University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL$83,451$81,990#8$48,063
6University of Miami Coral Gables, FL$82,999$88,342#2$43,917
7Pepperdine University Malibu, CA$81,417$74,084#28$45,988
8University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA$81,285$73,964#31$37,856
9Brigham Young University Provo, UT$80,841$76,618#21$51,436
10The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX$80,221$81,561#9$47,972

Other Majors at Pepperdine University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Economics$104,943$54,267#54 of 368
International Business$100,595—#11 of 115
Business Administration, Management and Operations$91,227$69,751#49 of 1176
Political Science and Government$75,954$42,306#58 of 565
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$65,100$34,388#62 of 610
International/Globalization Studies$62,495$36,920#29 of 87
Psychology$61,353$23,438#78 of 1027
Journalism$58,801$42,536#65 of 187
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$55,432$23,182#47 of 158
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$50,594—#13 of 255
Communication and Media Studies—$48,398—
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies—$33,228—
Biology—$20,031—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Pepperdine University public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $45,988 one year after graduating and $81,417 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Pepperdine University rank for public relations, advertising, and applied communication?

Among 178 colleges reporting earnings for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates, Pepperdine University ranks #7 by median pay four years after graduation, and #28 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is public relations, advertising, and applied communication at Pepperdine University worth it?

Its graduates earn 28% more than the national median for public relations, advertising, and applied communication ($63,560), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,112.

← All data for Pepperdine University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.