Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

UL Lafayette's communications program lands graduates at $34,434 in their first year—about $5,300 below the national median for this major. That's a significant gap, placing this program in just the 19th percentile nationally. However, context matters: with only five schools offering this program in Louisiana, UL Lafayette actually hits the state median exactly and ranks right in the middle of local options. You're not getting a premium outcome, but you're also not paying premium prices with manageable debt of $26,000.

The trajectory here is steady rather than spectacular—earnings grow to $38,556 by year four, closing some but not all of that national gap. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 is reasonable, meaning graduates can realistically manage their loans on a communications salary. If your child plans to stay in Louisiana, where the regional job market may favor local connections and where this school performs competitively against in-state peers, this could work out fine.

The practical reality: this program prepares students adequately for Louisiana's communications market but doesn't open doors to the higher-paying national opportunities that top-tier programs provide. If your child is cost-conscious, plans to work locally, and values the accessibility of an 89% admission rate, the numbers support that decision. If they're aiming for major-market PR or advertising jobs, they'll be competing against graduates earning $10,000+ more right out of the gate.