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Public Relations & Advertising at Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $42,530/yr (8% vs median)

AI Risk High (51% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (161,400 openings/yr)

ROI 14.3x earnings multiple (5.4x out-of-state)

Ranked #15 of 183 Public Relations & Advertising programs Top 10%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Public Relations & Advertising graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$615K	$601K	$544K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	14.6x	14.3x	13.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	5.6x	5.4x	4.9x
Probability of Field Employment	62%	55%	40%
DegreeOutlook Score	61	60	59

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$41,988

Out-of-state: $110,732 (5.4x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$72,660

-73% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$23,125

6.5 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$63,153

48% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $42,530 at Iowa State University come in 8% above the national median of $39,349 for Public Relations & Advertising programs.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 14.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Public Relations & Advertising programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Public Relations & Advertising's typical career paths, with 51% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 11% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $23,125 represents roughly 7 months of the $42,530 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #15 of 183 programs, Iowa State University's Public Relations & Advertising program falls in the top 10%, outperforming most peers on financial outcomes.

Earnings grow from $42,530 to $63,153 over five years — a 48% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.

About Iowa State University

Iowa State University accepts 89% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, serving a student body of 25,033 in Ames, IA.

See all programs and financial aid at Iowa State University →

Top Career Paths

Human resources managers $140,030/yr

Public relations managers $138,520/yr

Training and development managers $127,090/yr

View all 17 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

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Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Public Relations & Advertising at Iowa State University?

A score of 60/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Public Relations & Advertising field.

Will AI replace Public Relations & Advertising careers?

With 51% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $544,211 in decade earnings vs $614,577 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →