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2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in North Carolina

[Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public relations, advertising, & applied communication students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in North Carolina

2026 Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public relations, advertising, & applied communication, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Schools

1

Wingate University
Wingate, NC

$42,576 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,400 Avg Student Debt

$52,649 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Wingate University the best value for a degree in public relations, advertising, & applied communication in North Carolina. Set in the suburb of Wingate, Wingate University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,576. Typical student debt for public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates is $25,400. Early-career public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates make about $40,438. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.

2

Elon University
Elon, NC

$46,958 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,619 Avg Student Debt

$74,545 Median Earnings (10yr)

Elon University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value public relations, advertising, & applied communication schools. Located in the suburb of Elon, Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $46,958. Students borrow a median of $21,619 to complete the public relations, advertising, & applied communication program here. Early-career public relations, advertising, & applied communication graduates make about $50,463. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.

View All Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.