Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degree) at Spring Arbor University

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$40,299

Est. from MI median (11 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$25,832

Est. from national median (79 programs)

Analysis

Similar programs across Michigan suggest first-year earnings around $40,300 for this field, putting Spring Arbor's likely outcomes squarely in the middle of the state's communications programs. With estimated debt of $25,800, graduates would start with about 64% of their first year's salary in loans—a manageable but not negligible burden that would require careful budgeting.

What's worth noting is the spread among Michigan's programs. Michigan State graduates in this major earn about $5,000 more in their first year, while Spring Arbor's estimates align closely with Central Michigan and fall well short of the state's top performers. The difference matters: that $5,000 gap translates to roughly $400 more per month to put toward loan payments or living expenses.

The practical reality is that communications careers often start modestly regardless of school, and peer programs nationally show similar patterns. At this debt level, monthly payments would run around $290 on a standard plan—tight but feasible on $40,000. The real question is whether Spring Arbor's smaller environment and potential networking advantages justify staying near the middle of Michigan's pack rather than pursuing options that show stronger early earnings outcomes.

Where Spring Arbor University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all public relations, advertising, and applied communication bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Michigan

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Michigan (23 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor	$32,580	$40,299*	—	$25,832*	—
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing	$15,988	$45,158*	$57,693	$23,899*	0.53
Northwood UniversityMidland	$33,000	$41,857*	$52,483	$20,250*	0.48
Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti	$15,510	$41,420*	$53,615	$24,755*	0.60
Wayne State UniversityDetroit	$14,297	$41,306*	$52,584	$27,000*	0.65
Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant	$14,190	$40,346*	$51,494	$27,000*	0.67
National Median	—	$39,794*	—	$24,625*	0.62

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with public relations, advertising, and applied communication graduates

Advertising and Promotions Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, coupons, or giveaways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.

$159,660/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Human Resources Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.

$140,030/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Public Relations Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.

$132,870/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Fundraising Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.

$132,870/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Training and Development Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.

$127,090/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Technical Writers

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.

$91,670/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Communications Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Editors

Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

$75,260/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Public Relations Specialists

Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.

$69,780/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Fundraisers

Organize activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for an organization. May design and produce promotional materials. May also raise awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.

$66,490/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Training and Development Specialists

Design or conduct work-related training and development programs to improve individual skills or organizational performance. May analyze organizational training needs or evaluate training effectiveness.

$65,850/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Health Education Specialists

Provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Use data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. May link health systems, health providers, insurers, and patients to address individual and population health needs. May serve as resource to assist individuals, other health professionals, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.

$63,000/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Spring Arbor University, approximately 26% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 11 similar programs in MI. Actual outcomes may vary.