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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in District of Columbia

3 Colleges in the United States
$23,044 Avg Student Debt
$83,701 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Badge [Public Relations & Advertising](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for public relations & advertising students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools in District of Columbia

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

Best Value Public Relations & Advertising Schools

1

Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 best value for public relations & advertising in District of Columbia. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the public relations & advertising program here. Soon after graduation, public relations & advertising degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $73,569. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 47%.

2
Georgetown University crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

A rank of #2 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for public relations & advertising. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,089. Students borrow a median of $16,483 to complete the public relations & advertising program here. Public Relations & Advertising graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $91,362 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.

3
American University crest
American University
Washington, DC

A rank of #3 makes American University one of the best values for public relations & advertising. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Typical student debt for public relations & advertising graduates is $26,442. Early-career public relations & advertising graduates make about $56,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. American University admits about 62% of applicants.

4
Howard University crest
Howard University
Washington, DC

Howard University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value public relations & advertising schools. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the public relations & advertising program here. Early-career public relations & advertising graduates make about $39,120. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 41%.

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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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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