Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 80 graduates a year

$50,041
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$87,946
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$63,560
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#3 of 178
Rank by pay
#11 of 178
Rank, wage-adjusted
$19,500
Median federal debt

University of Southern California graduates in public relations, advertising, and applied communication earn 38% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 22% of one year’s pay at that point.

How University of Southern California 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 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Credentials at University of Southern California

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree$50,634$89,760$82,426

Other Majors at University of Southern California by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$192,897$137,284#15 of 349
Computer Engineering$166,369—#8 of 189
Real Estate$143,977$98,763#1 of 25
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$131,532$89,684#9 of 258
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$125,514$78,980#1 of 59
Accounting and Related Services$121,101$73,903#6 of 796
Computer Software and Media Applications$115,839$103,071#4 of 54
Industrial Engineering$112,150$87,807#7 of 94
Business Administration, Management and Operations$109,128$71,668#16 of 1176
Real Estate Development$107,292$49,353—
Civil Engineering$106,308$85,262#4 of 233
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$106,094—#1 of 17
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$105,415$80,508#17 of 118
Mechanical Engineering$104,649$83,356#20 of 318
Applied Mathematics$101,094$71,622#18 of 45
Chemical Engineering$100,646$68,234#50 of 158
Engineering-Related Fields$96,120$73,234#9 of 33
Economics$94,435$57,060#85 of 368
Cognitive Science$93,440$34,295#7 of 19
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$91,726$69,479#2 of 76
Public Health$89,522$36,300#3 of 215
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$89,203$38,063#3 of 67
Design and Applied Arts$89,022$64,846#5 of 299
International Relations and National Security Studies$84,866$52,262#12 of 118
History$79,940$36,876#12 of 459
Journalism$79,776$44,651#4 of 187
Architectural Sciences and Technology$78,741$47,874#4 of 22
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$78,731—#3 of 265
Communication and Media Studies$75,864$47,651#20 of 660
Political Science and Government$75,090$38,063#66 of 565

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do University of Southern California public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $50,041 one year after graduating and $87,946 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does University of Southern California rank for public relations, advertising, and applied communication?

Among 178 colleges reporting earnings for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates, University of Southern California ranks #3 by median pay four years after graduation, and #11 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is public relations, advertising, and applied communication at University of Southern California worth it?

Its graduates earn 38% more than the national median for public relations, advertising, and applied communication ($63,560), and the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.

← All data for University of Southern California · 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.