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Public Relations & Advertising at Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

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

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $40,487/yr (3% vs median)

AI Risk High (51% exposed)

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

ROI 7.7x earnings multiple (4.1x out-of-state)

Ranked #103 of 183 Public Relations & Advertising programs

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	$494K	$494K	$466K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	7.7x	7.7x	7.3x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	4.1x	4.1x	3.8x
Probability of Field Employment	62%	55%	40%
DegreeOutlook Score	46	45	45

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$63,824

Out-of-state: $121,144 (4.1x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$65,412

-2% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$27,000

8.0 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$48,026

19% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $40,487 track close to the $39,349 national median for Public Relations & Advertising programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The earnings-to-cost ratio of 7.7x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.

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 6% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $27,000 represents roughly 8 months of the $40,487 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #103 of 183 Public Relations & Advertising programs, Winthrop University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $48,026 are relatively flat compared to the $40,487 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.

About Winthrop University

Winthrop University has a 75% acceptance rate, making it broadly accessible, a smaller institution with 3,424 students in Rock Hill, SC.

See all programs and financial aid at Winthrop 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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For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

A score of 45/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Public Relations & Advertising. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

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 $466,242 in decade earnings vs $493,713 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

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