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Public Relations & Advertising at University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

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

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $42,181/yr (7% vs median)

AI Risk High (51% exposed)

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

ROI 10.6x earnings multiple (4.9x out-of-state)

Ranked #23 of 183 Public Relations & Advertising programs Top 25%

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	$721K	$696K	$613K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	11.0x	10.6x	9.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	5.0x	4.9x	4.3x
Probability of Field Employment	62%	55%	40%
DegreeOutlook Score	60	59	58

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$65,632

Out-of-state: $143,216 (4.9x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$79,596

-21% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$22,214

6.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$74,225

76% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

University of Rhode Island's Public Relations & Advertising graduates start at $42,181/yr — above the $39,349 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 10.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 51% task exposure — and the 15% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $22,214 debt-to-$42,181 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #23 out of 183 programs, University of Rhode Island's Public Relations & Advertising program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $42,181 to $74,225 over five years (76% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About University of Rhode Island

A 77% acceptance rate means University of Rhode Island is accessible to most applicants, serving 13,822 students in Kingston, RI.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Rhode Island →

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

Public Relations & Advertising at Other Schools

Other Majors at University of Rhode Island

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

How does University of Rhode Island's Public Relations & Advertising program score?

This program scores 59/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Public Relations & Advertising graduates.

How vulnerable is Public Relations & Advertising to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Public Relations & Advertising careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 51% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why does University of Rhode Island rank so high for Public Relations & Advertising?

The #23 ranking out of 183 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.

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