Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Minnesota State University Moorhead

Minnesota State University Moorhead's Public Relations program produces graduates who start earning slightly below what's typical for communications majors in Minnesota—landing at the 40th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $39,198. However, the program's real strength emerges over time: earnings jump 26% by year four to $49,415, outpacing both the national and state growth patterns. At $22,312, the debt load sits right at Minnesota's median for this field and below the national average, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57—meaning graduates owe about seven months of their first-year salary.

The comparison to University of Northwestern-St Paul ($41,278 starting) shows this program trails Minnesota's top communications schools by about $2,000 annually. That gap matters less than it might seem, though, given the solid earnings trajectory and controlled debt. For a selective-admission regional university (53% acceptance rate), these outcomes are reasonable if unspectacular.

One significant caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could swing these numbers considerably. If your child is considering this program, they should expect a modest start followed by steady income growth—a pattern that works fine for communications careers, where experience often matters more than starting salary. The debt won't be crushing, but they'll need patience as their career develops.