Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University's communications program delivers below-average national outcomes but actually performs solidly within Arizona—graduates earn about $37,300 first year, placing them above 60% of similar programs in the state. However, before getting too comfortable with that stat, understand there are only four Arizona schools offering this degree, and graduates here earn less than those from Northern Arizona University while carrying notably higher debt ($25,100 vs. $21,625 statewide median).

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 means your child would owe roughly eight months' salary, which is manageable but not impressive for a field where many entry-level positions already pay modestly. The real concern is that these graduates trail the national median by about $2,500 annually—that gap compounds significantly over a career. Combined with GCU's large online presence and less selective admissions, the question becomes whether this program offers enough advantage over Arizona State or NAU to justify the cost difference.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means one or two outliers could skew the picture considerably. If your child is set on communications and considering GCU, treat these numbers as directional rather than definitive, and dig deeper into specific career placement support and internship networks—that's where the real ROI gets determined in this field.