Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Bradley University

Bradley's communications program starts below both state and national medians at $38,351, landing in the 40th percentile among Illinois programs—roughly $3,000 behind the state's typical outcome and about $10,000 less than what graduates from North Central College or U of I Urbana-Champaign earn. That's a meaningful gap when you're comparing schools within the same state system where graduates often compete for the same entry-level PR and advertising positions in Chicago and beyond.

The positive development is genuine earnings momentum: graduates see a 26% increase by year four, reaching $48,400—which actually matches or exceeds what some higher-ranked programs deliver initially. The modest debt load of $26,819 keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.70, and graduates carry less debt than 91% of comparable programs nationally. This matters in communications fields where starting salaries rarely justify heavy borrowing.

The practical calculation comes down to whether that four-year runway works for your family. If your child can weather lower starting pay while building experience, Bradley graduates appear to catch up to their peers. But if immediate earning power matters—perhaps because of other financial obligations—the state offers programs with stronger salary floors. The 77% admission rate suggests Bradley is accessible, but the question is whether paying private school tuition makes sense when Illinois State delivers $43,874 from day one at public school pricing.