Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City University's communications program estimates first-year earnings around $36,400 based on the three Oklahoma programs with reported data—putting it roughly on par with the state median but nearly $10,000 below what University of Oklahoma grads earn. The estimated $25,800 in debt, derived from similar private institutions nationally, creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71, meaning graduates would owe about 8.5 months of their first year's salary.

The challenge here is that both figures are estimates drawn from peer programs rather than actual outcomes for OCU graduates specifically. Similar communications programs in Oklahoma show a wide earnings range ($34,750 to $45,750), and OCU's private school status typically correlates with higher debt loads than the state median of $21,500. At a 70% admission rate with moderate selectivity, OCU sits between Oklahoma's flagship programs and regional options.

For parents, this means weighing a mid-tier debt burden against earnings that—based on comparable programs—appear modest for a communications degree. The field itself offers broad career paths, but the estimated numbers suggest graduates would need to manage nearly $26,000 in loans on a salary barely above $36,000. Unless OCU offers significant scholarships or your child has strong reasons to choose this specific program, Oklahoma's public universities appear to deliver similar or better outcomes with substantially less debt risk.