Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Campbell University

Campbell's Public Relations program graduates earn roughly $32,000 in their first year—about 20% below the state median and landing in just the 5th percentile nationally. While the debt load at $22,250 is manageable and matches North Carolina's median for this program, the earnings gap is striking. Nearby competitors like Meredith College and Wingate University show graduates earning $8,000-$9,000 more annually, which compounds significantly over a career.

The 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming by itself, but it reflects the core problem: communications graduates from Campbell are entering the workforce at salaries well below what peers earn elsewhere. Even within North Carolina's competitive media market centered in Charlotte and the Triangle, these outcomes lag behind what graduates achieve at public universities like UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State. A PR professional earning $32,000 versus $40,000 faces meaningfully different financial flexibility when managing student loans and living expenses.

Important caveat: this cohort had fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances heavily influence these numbers. However, unless your student has compelling reasons to choose Campbell specifically—perhaps substantial scholarships that dramatically reduce the debt figure—stronger options exist within North Carolina at similar or lower cost. The gap between Campbell's outcomes and both state and national benchmarks is too wide to ignore.