# American University: Public Relations and Advertising (bachelor's)

Washington, DC. IPEDS 131159, CIP 09.09. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/american-university/majors/public-relations-and-advertising

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $50,026
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $78,410 (U.S. median for this major: $62,264 across 173 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $26,442 (U.S. median $24,722)
- Rank in DC: 2 of 3 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the DC median for this major (3 colleges, $78,410): +$0
- Versus the U.S. median: +$16,146

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.09 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $78,410 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,233 | $95,023 | 2.4 years |
| 30-48k | $20,444 | $83,616 | 2.1 years |
| 48-75k | $26,035 | $106,483 | 2.6 years |
| 75-110k | $30,063 | $122,958 | 3.1 years |
| 110k+ | $53,673 | $219,523 | 5.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Public Relations and Advertising at DC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | $85,459 | $23,250 | $36,586 | 84% |
| American University | $78,410 | $26,442 | $41,943 | 76% |
| Howard University | $67,881 | $26,000 | $50,539 | 70% |

## Careers
- Public relations specialist (SOC 27-3030): median wage $101,680 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $102,740 DC, $74,750 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.8% by 2035
- Training and Development Specialists (SOC 13-1151): median wage $82,400 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $80,980 DC, $69,280 U.S.; U.S. jobs 10.8% by 2035
- Human Resources Managers (SOC 11-3121): median wage $177,960 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $184,350 DC, $149,280 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).