Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Meredith College

Meredith's communications program posts slightly above-average earnings—beating the North Carolina median by $2,500 and landing in the 60th percentile statewide—while keeping debt remarkably low at $27,000 (5th percentile nationally). That debt level is notable: it's only about $2,000 above the typical North Carolina debt load, despite Meredith being a private college. The 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates carry roughly eight months of their first-year salary in debt, a manageable burden that shouldn't derail other financial goals.

The catch here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates in the reporting period. That means these numbers could shift significantly in either direction with a different cohort. The program's performance relative to competitors seems solid (essentially tied with Wingate and ahead of UNC Charlotte), but small samples can create misleading comparisons. What's more reliable is that Meredith generally attracts a decent student body (1224 SAT average) and serves a meaningful portion of lower-income students (33% on Pell grants).

For an in-state student choosing between North Carolina communications programs, this represents a reasonable middle-ground option—not the highest earnings, but respectable outcomes without the debt load that often comes with private college tuition. Just recognize you're making decisions based on limited graduate data.