Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Texas State University

Texas State's Public Relations program sits in an interesting middle ground—it delivers solid debt management with decent earnings growth, but lags behind stronger Texas competitors. With graduates earning $40,411 initially and reaching $50,780 by year four (a healthy 26% jump), the program performs slightly above national averages but falls short of the Texas median by about $1,000.

The debt picture tells a more encouraging story. At $21,764, student debt matches the state average while staying well below the national median of $24,625. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54, meaning graduates can realistically handle their loan payments. However, the program ranks in just the 40th percentile among Texas schools, suggesting other in-state options might deliver better returns—particularly UT Austin ($47,972) or University of Houston ($42,472), which offer significantly higher starting salaries.

For parents weighing this option, Texas State provides a relatively safe bet with reasonable debt levels and steady earnings growth, making it a solid backup choice. But if your child can gain admission to more competitive Texas programs, the extra $2,000-7,000 in starting salary could justify the additional effort, especially given the strong job market for communications professionals in major Texas cities.