30 Best Colleges for Advertising – 2024

April 2, 2024

best colleges for advertising

AMC’s classic drama Mad Men glorified the advertising scene in 1950s and ’60s Manhattan. The field may look different in the 2010s and ’20s with the fall of traditional media and the takeover of smart phones, the internet and on-demand programming, but this profession is anything but on the decline. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 6% job growth in the advertising sector through 2032 and the profession remains a rare space where corporate and creative interests can coexist symbiotically. Be prepared to learn everything from psychology to copyediting, graphic design, and marketing. Our list of Best Colleges for Advertising predominately features public universities which offer affordable and accessible degree programs while also allowing entry into the highest levels of this often high-paying and exciting career.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges in Advertising.

Best Colleges for Advertising

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten advertising institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) The University of Texas at Austin

2) University of Southern California

3) Boston University

4) University of Florida

5) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6) University of Georgia

7) University of Miami

8) Southern Methodist University

9) University of Oregon

10) Pepperdine University

All of the schools profiled below have a history of sending graduates to the top advertising & PR firms in the country. For each of the best accounting colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

  • Enrollment
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Median SAT
  • Median ACT
  • Graduation Rate
  • Retention Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

  • Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Salary Information

Want to know how much money graduates of the best advertising colleges make when they begin their careers? For each college listed (and hundreds of additional schools), you can view the starting salaries for advertising & public relations majors.

#1 Best College for Advertising
The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin

  • Austin, TX

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

  • Enrollment: 41,309 (undergraduate); 11,075 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $30,752-$34,174 (in-state); $61,180-$69,310 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 31%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#2 Best College for Advertising
University of Southern California

University of Southern California

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 140 undergraduate majors and minors within the Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences alone, the university’s oldest and largest school. The Marshall School of Business, Viterbi School of Engineering, and programs in communication, the cinematic arts, and the performing arts are highly acclaimed. Popular areas of study are business (22%), social sciences (11%), visual and performing arts (11%), communications/journalism (9%), and engineering (8%). Most courses enroll 10-19 students, and USC does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The top five industries entered were finance, consulting, advertising, software development, and engineering; the median salary across all majors is an astounding $79k. Presently, between 300 and 1,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and Meta. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2022 USC grads include NYU, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Pepperdine, and UCLA.

  • Enrollment: 20,699 (undergraduate); 28,246 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $90,921
  • Median SAT: 1510
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#3 Best College for Advertising
Boston University

Boston University

  • Boston, MA

Academic Highlights: In total, the university offers more than 300 programs of study, 100+ of which are distinct undergraduate degrees spread across ten schools/colleges. Many classes at BU are reasonably small—60% contain fewer than twenty students; only 19% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in social sciences (16%), business/marketing (15%), communications and journalism (15%), biology (11%), engineering (9%), and health professions/related sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 90% of BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Across all graduating years, companies employing more than 350 BU alums include Google, Oracle, Accenture, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. Of the one-quarter of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs. For example, engineering students found new academic homes at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia.

  • Enrollment: 18,459
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,363
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 14%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#4 Best College for Advertising
University of Florida

University of Florida

  • Gainesville, FL

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. The Warrington College of Business and the Wertheim College of Engineering are highly respected, so it’s no surprise that those two programs confer the greatest percentage of degrees—12% and 14%, respectively. Biology (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions (8%) are next in popularity. 53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and 33% of students partake in an undergraduate research experience.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 66% of the Class of 2022 had already procured a first job. The top occupational areas were engineering (13%), health care (13%), computer science (5%), and marketing (4%). 200+ Gator alumni can be found at top corporations like Google, EY, Raymond James, Deloitte, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and PwC. The average salary for all 2022 grads was $69k, with a high of $100k for computer science majors. Of those pursuing advanced degrees, a master’s degree was the most popular pursuit (63%) followed by law school (11%).

  • Enrollment: 34,552 (undergraduate); 20,659 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,530 (in-state); $45,808 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 23%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

#5 Best College for Advertising
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

  • Enrollment: 35,120 (undergraduate); 21,796 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,926-$41,190 (in-state); $55,386-$63,290 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 79%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#6 Best College for Advertising
University of Georgia

University of Georgia

  • Athens, GA

Academic Highlights: UGA boasts seventeen distinct colleges and schools that offer 125+ majors. Business is the most commonly conferred undergrad degree, accounting for 29% of diplomas earned. It is followed by biology (10%), social sciences (8%), communication & journalism (8%), and psychology (7%). Top-ranked programs include animal science, business, communications, and public and international affairs. 49% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and no matter your major, UGA encourages you to conduct research with a member of the school’s faculty.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of the Class of 2022 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Walt Disney Company, and Deloitte. Salaries vary between colleges; engineering grads had a median starting salary of $65k while journalism and communication grads reported a $50k median. In 2022, 24% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including Columbia, Duke, Emory, Georgia Tech, Penn, and UVA.

  • Enrollment: 30,714 (undergraduate); 9,893 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,142 (in-state); $48,538 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1310
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#7 Best College for Advertising
University of Miami

University of Miami

  • Coral Gables, FL

Academic Highlights: Over 100 undergrad programs are offered across nine schools, with the greatest number of degrees conferred in business/marketing (21%), health professions (13%), biology (11%), the social sciences (9%), communication (9%), and engineering (8%). The Miami Business School and the College of Engineering enjoy solid national reputations, and programs in music, marine science, communications, and architecture are also highly ranked. 52% of all course sections contain fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 98% of the Class of 2022 had positive outcomes, with 64% employed full-time and 34% in graduate school. Companies employing 2022 grads included Deloitte, Citrix, NBCUniversal, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, and Morgan Stanley. Across all majors, the median starting salary was an impressive $63k. 100+ Canes also can be found in the offices of Google, IBM, PwC, Apple, and Microsoft. The most frequently attended graduate school is typically Miami itself.

  • Enrollment: 12,883 (undergraduate); 6,710 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $93,146
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 19%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#8 Best College for Advertising
Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

  • Dallas, TX

Academic Highlights: In total, SMU offers 100+ majors and 85 minors. Thanks in part to an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 56% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. This career-minded student body gravitates toward pre-professional degrees, particularly in business (27%) and engineering (6%). SMU’s Cox School of Business is top-ranked and has especially strong ties to Wall Street. Programs in engineering, sports management, and the performing arts are also very well-regarded.

Professional Highlights: On graduation day, over 66% of recent grads already had their first jobs or graduate school destinations in hand. Six months later, that figure was in the mid-90s. Major corporations employing the greatest number of Mustangs are Lockheed Martin, AT&T, EY, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Deloitte, American Airlines, Accenture, Oracle, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs. In 2022, the average starting salary was $55k across all majors ($77k for Cox School of Business grads). In a typical year, 25% of seniors elect to immediately pursue an advanced degree.

  • Enrollment: 7,115 (undergraduate); 4,727 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,676
  • Median SAT: 1405
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 61%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#9 Best College for Advertising
University of Oregon

University of Oregon

  • Eugene, OR

Academic Highlights: Over 80 degree programs are offered, and students flock in large numbers to the social sciences as 19% of degrees conferred fall under this umbrella. The next most popular academic pursuits are communication/journalism (14%), business (14%), psychology (9%), biology (8%) and the visual and performing arts (7%). The Lundquist College of Business and the College of Education have strong national reputations. The median class size is 20 students (37% contain less than that), and an impressive 80% of undergraduate students engage in some type of research activity.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2022 already had their next destination lined up at graduation with 78% already employed or entering graduate school.  For 73% of that group, their outcomes related directly to the degree that they had just completed. More than 1,000 Oregon alumni work for Nike, and hundreds of others occupy offices at Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, Adidas, Google, Apple, and Salesforce. The median starting salary for a 2022 graduate was $51,000.

  • Enrollment: 19,565 (undergraduate); 3,598 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,721 (in-state); $64,302 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#10 Best College for Advertising
Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University

  • Malibu, CA

Academic Highlights: Pepperdine offers 46 majors and 47 minors with the most commonly conferred degrees being in business/marketing (29%), communication/journalism (17%), general social sciences (11%), psychology (8%), and parks and recreation (7%). Only 2% pursue degrees in religion, but its influence is interwoven into the academic experience. The Graziadio Business School has a strong reputation, as does the Communication Division. The average class contains 19 students, and 23% of courses contain fewer than 10.

Professional Outcomes: 86% of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months, with 63% employed full-time, 18% admitted to graduate school, and 1% in a full-time service or military role. Of those employed, 87% were in the for-profit sector, 12% were with nonprofit/government entities, and 1% were pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. Disney, Morgan Stanley, Northrop Grumman, and Wells Fargo have hired the most recent grads. Other companies employing fifty or more alumni include Kaiser Permanente, Apple, Google, and Amazon.

  • Enrollment: 3,682 (undergraduate); 6,368 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $93,578
  • Median SAT: 1390
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Retention Rate: 88%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#11 Best College for Advertising
Ithaca College

Ithaca College

  • Ithaca, NY

Academic Highlights: Ithaca has five schools that specialize in business, communications, humanities and sciences, health sciences and human performance, and music. You won’t find yourself in many classes with more than 29 of your fellow undergraduates as 82% of sections fall below that marker. Ithaca students frequently earn degrees in the disciplines of communication/journalism (24%), the visual and performing arts (18%), health professions and related programs (15%), business/marketing (11%), and the social sciences (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Within nine months of graduating, 52% of one recent graduating cohort had already found their first post-college job and 22% were still seeking employment. Media companies like ESPN and NBCUniversal Media are among the largest employers of Ithaca alumni along with corporations like IBM, Morgan Stanley, Google, Salesforce, and Amazon. More than five recent grads enrolled at nearby Cornell University and multiple grads traveled to Columbia University, Syracuse University, Boston University, and Northwestern University.

  • Enrollment: 4,619
  • Cost of Attendance: $75,013
  • Median SAT: 1300
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 75%
  • Retention Rate: 83%
  • Graduation Rate: 74%

#12 Best College for Advertising
Pennsylvania State University — University Park

Pennsylvania State University — University Park

  • State College, PA

Academic Highlights: Penn State offers 275 majors and a number of top-ranked programs in a host of disciplines. The College of Engineering is rated exceptionally well on a national scale and is also the most popular field of study, accounting for 15% of the degrees conferred. The Smeal College of Business is equally well-regarded, earning high rankings in everything from supply chain management to accounting to marketing. It attracts 15% of total degree-seekers. 61% of classes have an enrollment below thirty students.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation, 70% of Nittany Lions have found their next employment or graduate school home. 98% of College of Business grads are successful within three months of exiting, flocking in large numbers to stellar finance, accounting, consulting, and technology firms. Hundreds of alumni work at Citi, Salesforce, and Meta, and more than 500 currently work at each of IBM, Deloitte, PwC, Amazon, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle. 75% of 2022 grads employed full-time earned starting salaries greater than $50k.

  • Enrollment: 41,745 (undergraduate); 7,020 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,656 (in-state); $52,610 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1300
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 55%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#13 Best College for Advertising
Michigan State University

Michigan State University

  • East Lansing, MI

Academic Highlights: This highly regarded state institution boasts over 200 programs—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—across 17 degree-granting colleges. A 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio rates in the average range for public universities of MSU’s size and scope. Class sizes are a genuine mix of small seminars and giant lecture halls. 16% of the degrees conferred in 2022 were in the business/marketing category. The next most common degrees were earned in communication/journalism (12%), engineering (11%), and the social sciences (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of strutting across the graduation stage, 56% of Class of 2022 members had landed full-time employment, 27% were pursuing advanced degrees, and 6% were still looking for a job. The top employers of this group included big names like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte, Epic Systems, Target, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. The median starting salary earned was $60,000. Among the grads schools favored by recent alumni are the University of Michigan, New York University, Columbia University, and Boston University.

  • Enrollment: 39,201
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,805 (In-State); $55,189 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate:
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 82%

#14 Best College for Advertising
Syracuse University

Syracuse University

  • Syracuse, NY

Academic Highlights: In total, 200+ majors and 100+ minors are spread across ten undergraduate schools/colleges. The School of Architecture, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the Newhouse School of Public Communication are all revered names that carry a good deal of weight in their respective fields. The most popular majors include communication/journalism (15%), the social sciences (14%), and business (12%). Despite Syracuse’s size, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 63% contain 20 students or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2022, 59% of Orangemen and women found employment (92% related to their career goals) and 21% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most ‘Cuse grads include major media/entertainment management companies like Conde Nast, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2022 grads was a solid $63k.

  • Enrollment: 15,739 (undergraduate); 7,209 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,214
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#15 Best College for Advertising
American University

American University

  • Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: There are 60+ undergraduate degrees for students to choose from at AU across six colleges. A low 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows 58% of offered courses to be capped at nineteen students; the average undergraduate class size is 23. American’s School of International Service (SIS) is one of the top-ranked programs in the country—its Public Affairs program also receives universally high marks. In terms of sheer popularity, the most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (35%), 17% (business), and journalism (11%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 90% of AU grads have found employment, are enrolled in grad school, or both. Across all graduating years, more than 100 alumni presently work for the US House of Representatives, the US Department of State, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, EY, IBM, PwC, and Accenture.  Many of the most popular grad school destinations are only a Metro stop away. George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and American itself head the list.

  • Enrollment: 7,917
  • Cost of Attendance: $76,176
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 41%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 79%

#16 Best College for Advertising
Tulane University

Tulane University

  • New Orleans, LA

Academic Highlights: Tulane offers 75 majors within five colleges, with the A.B. Freeman School of Business and programs in architecture, biology, and neuroscience enjoying strong national reputations. The most degrees are conferred in business/marketing (22%), the social sciences (20%), psychology (9%), biology (8%), and health professions (8%). The average class size is 21 students and a solid 21% of courses have single-digit enrollments, providing a seminar-style environment. The majority of undergraduate courses are taught by full-time professors.

Professional Outcomes: Over three-fifths of Tulane grads find employment within six months of graduation. The most popular occupations were financial analyst, management analyst, marketing specialist, and postsecondary teacher. Significant numbers of alumni can be found working in the Louisiana-based Ochsner Health System or at corporations such as Shell, EY, Google, PwC, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, and Accenture. 35% of grads eventually enroll in graduate or professional school—the most common destinations are Tulane itself, Louisiana State University, Boston University, and Johns Hopkins University.

  • Enrollment: 7,295 (undergraduate); 4,990 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,000
  • Median SAT: 1450
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 15%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#17 Best College for Advertising
Elon University

Elon University

  • Elon, NC

Academic Highlights: Students choose from 70 majors and can add a number of interesting minors like adventure-based learning, coaching, and multimedia authoring. Elon’s 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 20 students; 51% of sections contain fewer than 20 students. The areas in which the greatest number of degrees are conferred are business (29%), journalism/communication (20%), social sciences (8%), the visual and performing arts (6%), and psychology (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Results of a survey administered nine months after graduation found that 96% of the Class of 2022 had found employment, a graduate school, or an internship. Top employers of recent Elon graduates include Bloomberg, Deloitte, EY, Google, Goldman Sachs, Red Ventures, and Wells Fargo. Recent business grads enjoyed a median salary of $61k while communications majors earned $47k. Just under one-quarter of recent grads gained acceptance into graduate/professional school and many remain at Elon.

  • Enrollment: 6,337
  • Cost of Attendance: $66,657
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 78%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#18 Best College for Advertising
Temple University

Temple University

  • Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights: Temple offers 100 undergraduate programs, including those at the well-regarded Fox School of Business. Other programs with strong national reputations include criminal justice, public health, and kinesiology. The most undergraduate degrees are conferred in business (22%) followed by communication/journalism and health professions (tied at 11%), the visual and performing arts (8%), biology (7%), psychology (6%), and computer science (5%). 42% of classes have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 71% contain no more than 29 undergraduates.

Professional Outcomes: 51% of recent grads quickly secured employment and another 18% were enrolled in graduate school. Hundreds of Owl alumni can be found at big-time companies such as Merck, Comcast, Vanguard, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, and Bristol Myers Squib. Within six months of graduating, 91% of Fox School of Business 2021 graduates were employed or had started their own businesses. The median salary for all graduates of that school was $57,000.

  • Enrollment: 24,106 (undergraduate); 9,124 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,828-$46,866 (in-state); $56,092-$65,618 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1245
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 80%
  • Retention Rate: 84%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#19 Best College for Advertising
University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder

  • Boulder, CO

Academic Highlights: CU Boulder offers 90 bachelor’s degree programs across seven different schools and colleges; the College of Engineering & Applied Science and the Leeds School of Business both possess excellent national reputations. Business/marketing is the discipline where the greatest number of degrees (15%) were conferred in 2022. Engineering (13%), biology (12%), social sciences (12%), and journalism (10%) are next in popularity. 41% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and only 19% of courses enroll 50 or more students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving CU Boulder, 91% of recent grads were working or in graduate school. Those employed earned an estimated median salary of $54k, with the greatest number working at Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace, Deloitte, Qualcomm, Northrop Grumman, KPMG, Charles Schwab, and Boeing. More than 100 alumni can also be found at Google, Oracle, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. 20% of new grads immediately jumped into an advanced degree program, and 80% were accepted into their first-choice school.

  • Enrollment: 31,103 (undergraduate); 7,110 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,744 (in-state); $60,118 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1280
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 79%
  • Retention Rate: 88%
  • Graduation Rate: 75%

#20 Best College for Advertising
Howard University

Howard University

  • Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: A strong 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for generally small class sizes, even with over 3,000 graduate students also in attendance. Sixty-seven percent of undergraduate course sections enroll fewer than 30 students, and just 11% enroll more than 50 students. The three most popular major choices at Howard are business (15%), communication and journalism (15%), and biology (9%). The School of Business is highly respected by corporations/top MBA programs. The Afro-American Studies and English departments also are strong.

Professional Outcomes: Over 100 alumni presently work for Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, and Apple. Large numbers of Bison also roam the corporate offices of JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Meta, and Goldman Sachs. Howard graduates typically earn fantastic results when applying to graduate and professional schools. For example, HU produces more African American medical school applicants than any other institution in the United States. Recents grads have headed to law schools such as Emory, Tulane, Harvard, Penn, and NYU.

  • Enrollment: 9,809
  • Cost of Attendance: $55,704
  • Median SAT: 1170
  • Median ACT: 23
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 79%

#21 Best College for Advertising
Butler University

Butler University

  • Indianapolis, IN

Academic Highlights: At Butler, undergrads can select from 85 academic majors. An excellent 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to very few large lecture halls; just 4% of class sections contain more than 50 students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred business (32%), with health professions (10%), journalism (10%), and the social sciences (8%) next in line. Known for the quality of its undergraduate teaching, Butler delivers a quality education without a harrowing admissions process.

Professional Outcomes: With a 98% placement rate for the class of 2022, the vast majority of newly minted grads find employment (66%) or a grad school home (31%). The median starting salary salary is a solid $59,000 and prominent employers of last year’s grads include Walt Disney, EY, Oracle, and Johnson and Johnson. Butler alumni enter all types of graduate institutions including the likes of Vanderbilt, WashU, Brown, UChicago, and UPenn.

  • Enrollment: 4,427
  • Cost of Attendance: $61,850
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 82%
  • Retention Rate: 88%
  • Graduation Rate: 80%

#22 Best College for Advertising
University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina

  • Columbia, SC

Academic Highlights: UofSC is a massive enterprise, with 16 colleges/schools within the larger university. Even so, 70% of all sections contain 29 or fewer students. 32% of students take the opportunity to earn a degree in the business/marketing realm from the superb Darla Moore School of Business. The international business program is also top-ranked. Other popular disciplines include health services (11%), biology (10%), engineering (6%), and communication and journalism (6%).  The South Carolina Honors College is extremely hard to get into and is one of the finest in the entire country.

Professional Outcomes: 79% of recent grads landed at their next destination within six months with an average starting salary of over $55,000. Within the School of Business, 87% of 2023 grads were employed within three months and the average starting salary was $69k. Top employers of recent classes included KPMG, IBM, Aramark, Bank of America, Vanguard, PwC, and Marriot. The majority of those continuing their studies in a graduate/professional degree program did so at the University of South Carolina; other popular landing spots are Duke and Wake Forest.

 

  • Enrollment: 27,343 (undergraduate); 8,310 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,696 (in-state); $60,942 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1280
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 64%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#23 Best College for Advertising
Florida State University

Florida State University

  • Tallahassee, FL

Academic Highlights: A wide range of baccalaureate degrees—103 to be precise—are available at FSU. The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Twenty-three percent of degrees conferred fall under the business umbrella. The social sciences (15%), psychology (8%), biology (8%), and homeland security (6%) are next in popularity.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. The top five sectors employing 2022 grads are (in order) finance, technology, marketing, health, and engineering. Roughly one-third of 2022 Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 75% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. A typical graduating class sees over 100 students accepted into medical schools and over 200 accepted into law schools.

  • Enrollment: 32,936
  • Cost of Attendance: $25,762 (In-State); $39,692 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1300
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#24 Best College for Advertising
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

  • Minneapolis, MN

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.

Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

  • Enrollment: 39,248 (undergraduate); 15,707 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,032-$35,632 (in-state); $54,446-$57,046
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 75%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#25 Best College for Advertising
University of Alabama

University of Alabama

  • Tuscaloosa, AL

Academic Highlights: Approximately half of all courses at the University of Alabama contain fewer than 20 students and 17% contain 50 or more; the student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1. The greatest number of undergraduates study business (29%), while other popular majors include engineering (11%), journalism (9%), and the social sciences (9%). The engineering, nursing, accounting, marketing, and economics programs have stellar reputations with prospective employers.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 92% of alumni have already achieved a positive result; 58% go into the working world and one-third enter graduate/professional school. Top employers include Epic. Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, EY, and Dell. The average salary for a Class of 2022 grad was $54,290. For grad school, the highest number of students stay at Alabama while many others enroll at Vanderbilt, FSU, and the University of South Carolina.

  • Enrollment: 32,458
  • Cost of Attendance: $26,740 (In-State); $48,040 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1210
  • Median ACT: 26
  • Acceptance Rate: 80%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#26 Best College for Advertising
Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University

  • Forth Worth, TX

Academic Highlights: TCU offers 116 undergraduate majors. The most popular are housed in the Neely School of Business, including the highly-rated BBA in Entrepreneurship. 27% of all degrees conferred in 2022 fell under the business umbrella. The engineering program is also well-regarded. Other commonly conferred degrees include communications/journalism (15%), health professions (11%), and the social sciences (9%). 39% of its class sections have 20 or fewer students, and only 5% of courses seat more than 50.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 48% of recent diploma-earners were employed and 18% had their graduate school placement lined up. American Airlines, Deloitte, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and Medical City Hospitals employ the greatest number of recent alumni. Other companies with a large TCU presence include Microsoft, CBRE, Goldman Sachs, and AT&T. The most recent median starting salary was $58,900. For those who enrolled in an advanced degree program, the most commonly pursued areas of study were medicine/health (27%), business (21%), and psychology (13%).

  • Enrollment: 10,523 (undergraduate); 1,750 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,051
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 56%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#27 Best College for Advertising
DePaul University

DePaul University

  • Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: There are more than 300 undergraduate majors and graduate programs at the nation’s largest Catholic research university. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 42% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. A hefty 32% of all degrees awarded in 2022 were in the discipline of business/marketing. The next most popular areas of study were the visual and performing arts (13%), journalism (11%), and computer science (10%). The University rates well in the areas of overall value and facilitating social mobility.

Professional Outcomes: 92% of 2022 graduates found their next positive step in life within six months of being awarded their diploma. 81% were employed earning a modest median salary of $45,000. Sample employers included Epic. Xerox Business Solutions, UBS, KPMG, and a number of nonprofit entities. Less than 10% of DePaul graduates directly enter graduate or professional school right after completing their undergraduate education.

  • Enrollment: 14,134
  • Cost of Attendance: $66,798
  • Median SAT: 1190
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 70%
  • Retention Rate: 84%
  • Graduation Rate: 69%

#28 Best College for Advertising
Marquette University

Marquette University

  • Milwaukee, WI

Academic Highlights: With a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the university is able to keep 50% of class sections at 19 or fewer students. The average lower-division class size is 33, and the average upper-division course enrolls 25. The College of Business Administration conferred 26% of total undergraduate degrees in 2022. The next most popular disciplines were biology (14%), engineering (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions and related programs (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Sixty-six percent of the Class of 2022 enjoyed full-time employment within six months of graduation, although that figure varied widely by discipline. Within the College of Business Administration, 82% had landed a job, and 77% of College of Engineering grads did the same. The largest employers were GE Healthcare, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation, and Baird. Out of those headed to grad school, 53% were pursuing a master’s degree, 27% were pursuing a medical or health-related degree, 11% entered law school, and 3% began a PhD program.

  • Enrollment: 7,528
  • Cost of Attendance: $64,440
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 87%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#29 Best College for Advertising
Chapman University

Chapman University

  • Orange, CA

Academic Highlights: Chapman offers 50 majors in STEM, humanities, communication, the arts, and business. Overall, 46% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. One-third of all degrees earned are in the area of business; the next most pursued are the visual and performing arts (21%), journalism (9%), and psychology (6%). In addition to the famed film program, the school gets acclaim for its innovation and the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Professional Outcomes: The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Deloitte, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Google, and NBCUniversal are the most common employers of Chapman graduates. Students in the Argyros College of Business and Economics earned an average starting salary of $77,164 in 2023. 62% of that cohort had already secured employment by graduation day. Most graduates remain in the state of California, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Irvine attracting particularly high numbers of alumni.

  • Enrollment: 7,869
  • Cost of Attendance: $90,370
  • Median SAT: 1300
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 73%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#30 Best College for Advertising
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University

  • Provo, UT

Academic Highlights: Thirteen percent of sections contain more than fifty students. However, those lecture hall courses are balanced with classes of more modest size; 47% of courses have nineteen or fewer students. The areas where the most degrees were conferred in 2022 were business (14%), biology (12%), engineering (8%), health professions (7%), and the social sciences (7%). The programs with the strongest national reputations are those within the Marriott School of Business and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: By a wide margin, the two largest employers of BYU alums are the university itself and the LDS Church. However, there are hundreds of Cougars working at major corporations including Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The median salary of a 2022 grad was $62,500. Brigham Young is in the same league with Berkeley, Cornell, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin in terms of producing future PhDs. Over the past decade, more than 3,000 alumni have gone on to earn doctoral degrees.

  • Enrollment: 34,401
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,052 (in-state); $38,076 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Advertising to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including: