Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL · Bachelor's Degree · about 27 graduates a year
Columbia College Chicago graduates in public relations, advertising, and applied communication earn 5% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 36% of one year’s pay at that point.
How Columbia College Chicago 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.
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | Adj. rank | 1 yr after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | $90,535 | $86,171 | #3 | $54,934 |
| 2 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX | $89,330 | $90,822 | #1 | $51,828 |
| 3 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $87,946 | $80,025 | #11 | $50,041 |
| 4 | George Washington University Washington, DC | $85,459 | $74,884 | #27 | — |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $83,451 | $81,990 | #8 | $48,063 |
| 6 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $82,999 | $88,342 | #2 | $43,917 |
| 7 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | $81,417 | $74,084 | #28 | $45,988 |
| 8 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | $81,285 | $73,964 | #31 | $37,856 |
| 9 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $80,841 | $76,618 | #21 | $51,436 |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | $80,221 | $81,561 | #9 | $47,972 |
| … | |||||
| 58 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA | $67,414 | $61,342 | #109 | $44,197 |
| 59 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | $67,413 | $76,520 | #22 | $41,458 |
| 60 | Belmont University Nashville, TN | $67,040 | $73,234 | #33 | — |
| 61 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | $66,798 | $65,629 | #79 | $39,794 |
| 62 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | $66,780 | $63,561 | #93 | $42,030 |
| 63 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $66,750 | $67,885 | #54 | $37,125 |
| 64 | Suffolk University Boston, MA | $66,709 | $58,744 | #124 | $44,863 |
Other Majors at Columbia College Chicago by Graduate Pay
| Major | 4 yrs after | 1 yr after | Rank in major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | $65,686 | $36,386 | #280 of 516 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $56,482 | $34,798 | #920 of 1176 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $54,357 | $24,191 | #53 of 158 |
| Journalism | $51,639 | $31,369 | #126 of 187 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $50,592 | $23,844 | #17 of 43 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | $49,593 | $25,999 | #158 of 207 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $48,601 | $29,630 | #191 of 299 |
| American Sign Language | $45,619 | $33,775 | #10 of 20 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $44,703 | — | #90 of 103 |
| Graphic Communications | $43,970 | $26,309 | #29 of 59 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $43,731 | $20,927 | #16 of 19 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $42,176 | $22,765 | #194 of 423 |
| Dance | $41,842 | — | #26 of 58 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,200 | $23,905 | #102 of 144 |
| Music | $40,734 | $19,943 | #174 of 268 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,986 | $17,929 | #130 of 255 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $39,751 | $25,060 | #116 of 137 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Columbia College Chicago public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates make?
Graduates earn a median $39,794 one year after graduating and $66,798 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How does Columbia College Chicago rank for public relations, advertising, and applied communication?
Among 178 colleges reporting earnings for public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates, Columbia College Chicago ranks #61 by median pay four years after graduation, and #79 after adjusting for state wage levels.
Is public relations, advertising, and applied communication at Columbia College Chicago worth it?
Its graduates earn 5% more than the national median for public relations, advertising, and applied communication ($63,560), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,225.
← All data for Columbia College Chicago · 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.