Best Advertising Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Advertising Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 22 Advertising programs in the West by median earnings of Advertising graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Southern California leads the list at $87,946, with a gap of $6,529 over Pepperdine University at $81,417.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $87,946 to $25,824, with a median of $64,428. For 4 of the 22 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 12 of the 22 programs and private nonprofits for 10. California State University-Dominguez Hills posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $8,615.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best showing in the group.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $87,946 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports $87,946 in median earnings of Advertising graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $81,417 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Pepperdine University left with a median of $23,510 in federal loans, while its Advertising graduates earned $81,417 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $81,285 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco ranks 3rd on this list and posts an average net price of $41,431. | |||||
| 4 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $80,841 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| With an average net price of $10,444 for families earning under $30,000, Brigham Young University also reports $80,841 in median earnings for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $80,139 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University admits 65% of applicants and its Advertising graduates earned a median of $80,139 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $74,779 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder, a public university in Boulder, reports $74,779 in median earnings of Advertising graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $25,346. | |||||
| 7 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $73,410 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| Median earnings of $73,410 four years after completing place University of Oregon 7th on this list, with a cohort of 470 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 8 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $69,977 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Gonzaga University left with a median of $24,454 in federal loans, and the school reports an average net price of $35,119. | |||||
| 9 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $67,647 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University reports $67,647 in median earnings of Advertising graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $7,074 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $67,414 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University admits 36% of applicants and its Advertising graduates earned a median of $67,414 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $66,538 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University ranks 11th on this list, with median earnings of $66,538 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $62,319 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University reports an average net price of $31,495 and median earnings of $62,319 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Portland · Portland, OR | $62,264 | $28,210 | $20,070 | 89.2% |
| University of Portland, a private nonprofit university in Portland, reports median earnings of $62,264 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
| 14 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $59,864 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Arizona State University Campus Immersion left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, and the school ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $56,032 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| University of Idaho ranks 15th on this list, with $56,032 in median earnings for its Advertising graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,831. | |||||
| 16 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $55,863 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| With 148 graduates in the earnings cohort, Northern Arizona University posts median earnings of $55,863 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $52,904 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University admits 85% of applicants and reports median earnings of $52,904 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $50,478 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver has an admission rate of 99% and an average net price of $15,327, while its Advertising graduates earn a median of $50,478 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $41,379 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University ranks 23rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Advertising graduates earn a median of $41,379 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT | $38,289 | $16,524 | $13,927 | Not reported |
| Montana State University Billings reports median earnings of $38,289 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $16,524. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $36,099 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills ranks 46th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $8,615. | |||||
| 22 | George Fox University · Newberg, OR | $25,824 | $31,679 | $22,871 | 93.5% |
| George Fox University, a private nonprofit university in Newberg, reports median earnings of $25,824 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 94%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Advertising graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 4 of the 22 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Southern California to the bottom of the list is $62,122, and the gap between University of Southern California and Pepperdine University is $6,529.