Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates from Columbia College Chicago earn $66,798 median salary — above the national average for this program. Median debt: $24,225.
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Columbia College Chicago
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Columbia College Chicago and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 28 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Columbia College Chicago, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $66,798 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $56,939 across all institutions offering Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Columbia College Chicago, the mean median-earnings figure is $47,790, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication graduates at Columbia College Chicago is $24,225, which translates to roughly $202 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | $90,535 | $24,375 |
| Southern Methodist University | $89,330 | $19,500 |
| University of Southern California | $87,946 | $19,500 |
| George Washington University | $85,459 | $23,250 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $83,451 | $21,875 |
| University of Miami | $82,999 | $17,000 |
| Pepperdine University | $81,417 | $24,112 |
| University of San Francisco | $81,285 | $24,000 |
| Brigham Young University | $80,841 | $11,974 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $80,221 | $20,402 |
Other Programs at Columbia College Chicago
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (current) | $66,798 | $24,225 |
| Marketing | $65,686 | $25,250 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $60,136 | — |
| Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education | $59,340 | $67,949 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $57,240 | $48,604 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $56,482 | $27,000 |
| Physics | $54,861 | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $54,357 | $23,400 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $53,147 | $83,900 |
| Journalism | $51,639 | $24,525 |
Other Schools with Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.