Federal data
Highest earning public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs in California
California public relations, advertising, and applied communication programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,041 | 65 |
| 2 | Pepperdine University | Malibu | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,988 | 81 |
| 3 | San Diego State University | San Diego | Public, 4-year | $44,197 | 102 |
| 4 | Chapman University | Orange | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $40,141 | 52 |
| 5 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | Carson | Public, 4-year | $38,798 | 58 |
| 6 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $37,856 | 37 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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