Bachelor's · Middletown, Pennsylvania
Is Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 3.3 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $60,135
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $81,897
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $24,218
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $71k (likely $71k – $93k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $43k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 3.3 years (likely 2.9–3.9)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $150k (likely $87k – $205k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $674k (likely $527k – $818k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 27%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 5%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at other schools
🎬 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward media & storytelling majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Seminar
IB Higher Level
- Language A: Literature HL or Language and Literature HL
- Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$166,387
- Information Science/Studies (Master's)$158,815
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$139,676
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$120,729
- Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$114,915
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$112,269
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$111,392
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$111,065
- Homeland Security (Master's)$106,535
- Human Resources Management and Services (Master's)$103,541
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate certificate)$102,874
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's)$98,637
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine$76,246
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$76,246
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus$76,246
- Temple University$67,840
- Drexel University$66,750
- Duquesne University$64,538
- Susquehanna University$61,423
- Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania$56,381
- Point Park University$55,545
- York College of Pennsylvania$55,197