Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Marywood University

Drawing from comparable public relations programs in Pennsylvania, graduates from this field typically earn around $36,600 in their first year—slightly below the national median of nearly $40,000. The estimated $26,500 in debt would create a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72, meaning roughly nine months of gross income to cover the full loan amount. That's a workable number, though it assumes your child lands squarely in the middle of outcomes for similar programs.

The challenge is that Pennsylvania's communications programs show significant variation in outcomes. Temple graduates in this field earn $41,000, while others cluster closer to $36,000—a $5,000 difference that compounds over a career. With limited data specific to Marywood's program, you're essentially betting on where their graduates fall within that range. The relatively high admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest this isn't a highly selective program, which sometimes correlates with fewer elite internship or job placement opportunities in competitive communications markets.

Given the uncertainty, focus on what Marywood offers beyond the classroom: their industry connections in the Scranton area, internship placement rates, and whether their career services actively support students in landing that crucial first job. In public relations and advertising, where networking and portfolio work often matter as much as the degree itself, those program-specific factors could determine whether your child's outcomes lean toward the Temple end of the spectrum or fall below it.