Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Degrees in California by ROI

Colleges in California ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment — calculated from median graduate earnings, total attendance cost, and average student debt. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in California

9

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$53,546

Across California programs

Average Annual Cost

$55,081

Cost of attendance

# College 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 San Jose State University

Grad rate: 66.2%

 +$234,320 $58,855 $25,695 N/A Full ROI →
2 San Diego State University

Grad rate: 78.1%

 +$123,130 $54,778 $27,357 $17,038 Full ROI →
3 University of San Francisco

Grad rate: 72.8%

 -$14,251 $58,141 $76,421 $23,250 Full ROI →
4 Academy of Art University

Grad rate: 42.4%

 -$32,120 $49,833 $47,195 N/A Full ROI →
5 California State University-Dominguez Hills

Grad rate: 46.7%

 -$38,546 $44,040 $15,449 $13,000 Full ROI →
6 Pepperdine University

Grad rate: 84.4%

 -$82,648 $56,663 $85,202 $26,000 Full ROI →
7 University of Southern California

Grad rate: 92.2%

 -$122,590 $54,173 $84,678 $20,251 Full ROI →
8 Chapman University

Grad rate: 81.9%

 -$184,831 $50,551 $81,327 $22,625 Full ROI →
9 California Baptist University

Grad rate: 61.2%

 -$364,381 $35,796 $52,408 $22,718 Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost (annual cost × programme years) − Debt Payoff (avg debt × 1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20 = $840,000)

A positive ROI means a degree in this field pays off relative to entering the workforce without one. Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Degrees by State

Browse Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Alabama Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Arizona Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Arkansas Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → California Current state Colorado Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Connecticut Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Florida Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Georgia Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Idaho Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Illinois Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Indiana Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Iowa Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Kentucky Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Louisiana Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Maine Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Maryland Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Massachusetts Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Michigan Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Minnesota Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Mississippi Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Missouri Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Nebraska Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → New Hampshire Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → New Jersey Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → New York Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → North Carolina Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → North Dakota Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Ohio Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Oklahoma Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Oregon Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Pennsylvania Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Rhode Island Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → South Carolina Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → South Dakota Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Tennessee Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Texas Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Utah Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Vermont Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Virginia Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Washington Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication → Wisconsin Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication →