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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0909

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$29,400 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

13.0 yrsModeled economic break-even

−23%Modeled 10-year ROI

$54,879Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$54,879Median reported earnings · year 4

$53,051Average reported earnings · year 5

$12,000Median federal debt

64thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $44,556
Federal debt: $15,833
Reporting programs: 11

11 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $54,879
Federal debt: $12,000
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $62,087
Federal debt: $24,693
Reporting programs: 198

183 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $81,298
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 30

30 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$54,879National median$54,87975th percentile$54,879

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Fashion Institute of Technology$54,879

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Communications Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1122 · 8 crosswalk linksPublic Relations SpecialistsSOC 27-3031 · 6 crosswalk linksPublic Relations ManagersSOC 11-2032 · 5 crosswalk linksAdvertising and Promotions ManagersSOC 11-2011 · 3 crosswalk linksFundraisersSOC 13-1131 · 3 crosswalk linksFundraising ManagersSOC 11-2033 · 3 crosswalk linksNews Analysts, Reporters, and JournalistsSOC 27-3023 · 3 crosswalk linksAgents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesSOC 13-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc JockeysSOC 27-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksCommunity Health WorkersSOC 21-1094 · 1 crosswalk linksEditorsSOC 27-3041 · 1 crosswalk linksEntertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-2099 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS, ADVERTISING, AND APPLIED COMMUNICATION

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	Fashion Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree	New York, NY	$54,879	$12,000	-23%	Negative payoff

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.