Best Advertising Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Communication Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 174 Advertising programs in the United States by median earnings of Advertising graduates four years after completing, highest first. Syracuse University leads the list with median earnings of $90,535 four years after completing, followed by Southern Methodist University at $89,330 and University of Southern California at $87,946.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $90,535 to $24,421, with a median of $60,556. For 23 of the 174 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public and private institutions are nearly evenly split, with 85 public and 89 private nonprofit schools on the list. College of the Ozarks posts the lowest average net price at $6,100, while The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $90,535 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University reports median earnings of $90,535 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, with 198 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $89,330 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
| Southern Methodist University ranks 2nd on this list and admits 63% of applicants, while its Advertising graduates earn $89,330 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $87,946 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California offers an average net price of $13,516 for families earning under $30,000, and its Advertising graduates earn $87,946 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | George Washington University · Washington, DC | $85,459 | $36,586 | $17,440 | 47.1% |
| George Washington University records a median federal debt of $23,250 among Advertising completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $85,459 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $83,451 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| Ranks 5th on this list, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public university in Champaign with median earnings of $83,451 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $82,999 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| University of Miami admits 19% of applicants, and its Advertising graduates earn a median of $82,999 four years after completing, with 162 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 7 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $81,417 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University posts an average net price of $58,098, and its Advertising graduates earn $81,417 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $81,285 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| Median federal debt of $24,000 among Advertising completers who borrowed sits alongside median earnings of $81,285 four years after completing at University of San Francisco. | |||||
| 9 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $80,841 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University offers an average net price of $10,444 for families earning under $30,000, and its Advertising graduates report median earnings of $80,841 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $80,221 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Advertising graduates earn $80,221 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $80,139 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University admits 65% of applicants, and its Advertising graduates earn a median of $80,139 four years after completing, with 43 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 12 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $79,710 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford records median federal debt of $23,500 among Advertising completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $79,710 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Pace University · New York, NY | $79,376 | $30,892 | $26,473 | 75.9% |
| Pace University reports median earnings of $79,376 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $30,892. | |||||
| 14 | American University · Washington, DC | $78,410 | $41,943 | $23,233 | 62.0% |
| With an admission rate of 62%, American University ranks 14th on this list and shows median federal debt of $26,442 among Advertising completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Endicott College · Beverly, MA | $77,253 | $40,654 | $29,780 | 71.2% |
| Endicott College ranks 1345th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Advertising graduates earned a median of $77,253 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence · Providence, RI | $77,025 | $31,027 | $25,530 | 88.4% |
| Johnson & Wales University-Providence posts median earnings of $77,025 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $25,530 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $76,246 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| A public university in University Park, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 17th on this list and reports median federal debt of $23,250 among Advertising completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $76,148 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus reports median earnings of $76,148 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,300. | |||||
| 19 | Manhattan University · Riverdale, NY | $75,594 | $27,256 | $27,281 | 78.9% |
| With an admission rate of 79%, Manhattan University ranks 19th on this list and shows median federal debt of $21,500 among Advertising completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 20 | Butler University · Indianapolis, IN | $75,382 | $36,041 | $25,278 | 85.1% |
| Butler University ranks 1048th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Advertising graduates earned a median of $75,382 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Assumption University · Worcester, MA | $74,900 | $29,498 | $19,885 | 83.0% |
| Assumption University posts median earnings of $74,900 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $19,885 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 22 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $74,779 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| A public university in Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder ranks 22nd on this list and reports median federal debt of $18,500 among Advertising completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 23 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $74,531 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
| University of Georgia reports median earnings of $74,531 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $13,936. | |||||
| 24 | Quinnipiac University · Hamden, CT | $73,547 | $40,675 | $33,649 | 72.2% |
| With an admission rate of 72%, Quinnipiac University ranks 24th on this list and shows median federal debt of $23,250 among Advertising completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 25 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $73,410 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| University of Oregon reports median earnings of $73,410 for its Advertising graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $22,182. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. For 23 of the 174 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 differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Syracuse University and second-ranked Southern Methodist University is $1,205.
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