Washington, District of Columbia · Private Non-Profit
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at American University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 3.7% share of reported awards or completions in this field with $41,943 school-wide net price and $77,370 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools.
Program snapshot
3.7% of reported awards or completions are in this field, a measurable award concentration in federal data.
This major
- Award concentration
- 3.7% of awards
- Schools reporting awards
- 475
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- 75.5%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $41,943/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $167,772
- Median debt
- $22,750
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $77,370/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- D
The percentage is the share of this school's reported awards or completions attributed to the field. It is not the share of enrolled students, a student headcount, or proof of department quality. College Scorecard price and earnings on this page are school-wide, not major-specific. Verify current credentials and department outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal awards/completions share (3.7%), school-wide average net price ($41,943), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($77,370), and peer averages from 475 schools reporting awards in this field. Evidence not included: program enrollment, department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes.
School-level value among reporting colleges
Compared with 475 colleges reporting awards in this field.
The answer is a school-level value-screen grade of D, not a verified department verdict. Award concentration is 2.3x the national average award concentration; school-wide net price is higher than the peer average ($20,736 above), and school-wide ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($20,273 above). Together, those school-level evidence points place American University in the top 90% of this value ranking among colleges reporting awards in the field.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below report awards in the same field and are sorted by school-level value grade.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV · 0.6% of reported awards · $1,807 net A+ CUNY City College New York, NY · 0.6% of reported awards · $3,776 net A+ Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA · 0.3% of reported awards · $2,779 net A+ University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL · 6.5% of reported awards · $4,815 net A+ Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX · 0.1% of reported awards · $3,637 net A+ Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX · 0.1% of reported awards · $3,399 net A+ El Paso Community College El Paso, TX · 0.2% of reported awards · $3,206 net A+ Questions about this program
What does the share of awards mean?
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication accounts for 3.7% of the awards or completions reported for American University. That award concentration is higher than at 92% of schools in this field set and is 2.3x the national average award concentration. It does not estimate how many students are currently enrolled in the program.
How should I read the cost number?
American University's average net price is $41,943 per year, about $167,772 over four years. That is $20,736 above the $21,207 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $77,370 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $20,273 above the $57,097 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with award concentration, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify places American University #427 of 475 on its school-level value rank among colleges reporting awards in this field.