Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

UW-Oshkosh graduates from this program earn significantly more than communications majors nationally—$6,000 above the typical graduate and well above the 75th percentile benchmark of $42,358. That's impressive performance for a program at an accessible public university with an 87% admission rate. The $24,000 debt load is reasonable, creating a 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio that means graduates owe roughly six months of their first-year salary. This is manageable territory for a communications degree, which often carries concerns about return on investment.

The Wisconsin context adds nuance. While this program outperforms most schools nationally, it sits at the 60th percentile among Wisconsin's nine programs offering this degree, and trails the state median of $43,311. Still, graduates here actually out-earn those from Marquette University ($40,583), demonstrating that UW-Oshkosh delivers competitive outcomes without private school tuition. The relatively low Pell grant percentage (16%) suggests the student body skews more affluent, which may influence post-graduation outcomes.

For parents evaluating whether this program justifies the investment, the fundamentals are solid: graduates enter the workforce with debt they can reasonably manage and earnings that beat national expectations. The tradeoff is that other Wisconsin schools place slightly higher, though you'll likely pay significantly more to attend them.