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Public Relations & Advertising at University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $42,218/yr (7% vs median)

AI Risk High (51% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (161,400 openings/yr)

ROI 7.4x earnings multiple (2.9x out-of-state)

Ranked #86 of 183 Public Relations & Advertising programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Public Relations & Advertising graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$487K	$488K	$462K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	7.4x	7.4x	7.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	2.9x	2.9x	2.8x
Probability of Field Employment	62%	55%	40%
DegreeOutlook Score	48	47	46

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$65,720

Out-of-state: $167,772 (2.9x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$85,920

-31% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$18,500

5.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

University of Colorado Boulder's Public Relations & Advertising graduates start at $42,218/yr — above the $39,349 national average, though not by a wide margin.

At 7.4x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.

AI risk is moderate — 51% task exposure — and the 5% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $18,500 in median debt clears quickly against $42,218 in annual earnings.

Ranked #86 out of 183 programs, University of Colorado Boulder's Public Relations & Advertising offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

About University of Colorado Boulder

A 83% acceptance rate means University of Colorado Boulder is accessible to most applicants, one of the larger campuses at 31,578 students in Boulder, CO.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Colorado Boulder →

Top Career Paths

Human resources managers $140,030/yr

Public relations managers $138,520/yr

Training and development managers $127,090/yr

View all 17 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Public Relations & Advertising at Other Schools

Other Majors at University of Colorado Boulder

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does University of Colorado Boulder's Public Relations & Advertising program score?

This program scores 47/100 — on the lower end for Public Relations & Advertising. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

How vulnerable is Public Relations & Advertising to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Public Relations & Advertising careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 51% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →