UnisHub University Compass

Advertising: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Advertising is a dynamic field centered on the strategic development and deployment of persuasive communication across diverse media platforms to influence consumer behavior and drive brand engagement. This program equips learners with the analytical, creative, and technical competencies required to design, manage, and assess effective advertising campaigns in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

  • Advertising Theory: Explores foundational concepts behind consumer motivation, message framing, and the psychological impact of visual and verbal communication in marketing contexts.
  • Marketing Strategy: Focuses on aligning advertising efforts with broader business objectives, market segmentation, target audience identification, and competitive positioning.
  • Advertising Design and Production Methods: Teaches visual storytelling, layout principles, copywriting techniques, and the use of digital tools to craft compelling and brand-consistent content.
  • Campaign Methods and Techniques: Covers the full lifecycle of advertising initiatives—from concept development and messaging refinement to implementation and performance tracking across channels.
  • Media Management: Involves evaluating and selecting optimal platforms—print, broadcast, digital, social, and emerging media—based on audience reach, cost efficiency, and campaign goals.
  • Business Management Principles: Provides insight into budgeting, project coordination, client relations, and organizational structures essential for advertising professionals in real-world settings.
  • Technical and Equipment Skills: Develops hands-on proficiency with industry-standard software, production tools, analytics platforms, and multimedia equipment used in modern advertising workflows.

Advertising Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

4,308
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
94
Universities & Colleges
2
Career Pathways

Advertising Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Advertising degrees, including Advertising and Promotions Managers and Communications Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 50,360 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Advertising and Promotions Managers 11-2011 $126,960 $63,000 - $239,200 21,100 $61.04
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1122 $77,800 $47,100 - $160,210 29,260 N/A

Salary Comparison

Advertising Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $40,130 in Hawaii to $144,290 in New York—a 260% difference. The highest-paying states include New York, California, and New Jersey. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 50,360 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Advertising by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 94 institutions offering Advertising programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Advertising is found at Michigan State University (MSU) (471 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (327 graduates), University of Oregon (UO) (257 graduates), Boston University (BU) (216 graduates), and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (202 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 4,308 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Admissions Location Control Website
Michigan State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
471 SAT: 1150-1350
ACT: 26-31
East Lansing, Michigan Public msu.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
327 SAT: 1230-1490
ACT: 27-33
Austin, Texas Public utexas.edu
University of Oregon (UO)
Bachelor's
Master's
257 SAT: 1130-1360
ACT: 22-30
Eugene, Oregon Public uoregon.edu
Boston University (BU)
Bachelor's
Master's
216 SAT: 1400-1520
ACT: 32-34
Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Bachelor's
Master's
202 SAT: 1270-1510
ACT: 29-34
Champaign, Illinois Public illinois.edu
University of Florida (UF)
Bachelor's
Residency
180 SAT: 1300-1480
ACT: 28-33
Gainesville, Florida Public ufl.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)
Bachelor's
155 SAT: 1160-1390
ACT: 25-32
Athens, Georgia Public uga.edu
Texas State University (TXST)
Bachelor's
155 SAT: 980-1190
ACT: 19-26
San Marcos, Texas Public txst.edu
Temple University
Bachelor's
Master's
153 N/A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Public temple.edu
University of Central Florida (UCF)
Bachelor's
134 SAT: 1190-1350
ACT: 25-29
Orlando, Florida Public ucf.edu
Syracuse University
Bachelor's
Master's
131 SAT: 1260-1430
ACT: 28-32
Syracuse, New York Private syracuse.edu
The University of Alabama (UA)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
126 SAT: 1170-1400
ACT: 24-31
Tuscaloosa, Alabama Public ua.edu
Texas Tech University (TTU)
Bachelor's
126 SAT: 1090-1270
ACT: 22-28
Lubbock, Texas Public ttu.edu
University of Miami (UM)
Bachelor's
107 SAT: 1330-1470
ACT: 30-33
Coral Gables, Florida Private miami.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Bachelor's
103 SAT: 1290-1450
ACT: 28-32
Provo, Utah Private byu.edu
The University of Tennessee
Bachelor's
86 SAT: 1190-1340
ACT: 25-31
Knoxville, Tennessee Public utk.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)
Bachelor's
81 SAT: 1180-1380
ACT: 26-32
Columbia, South Carolina Public sc.edu
Appalachian State University (App State)
Bachelor's
80 SAT: 1100-1280
ACT: 21-27
Boone, North Carolina Public appstate.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bachelor's
70 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 23-29
Norman, Oklahoma Public ou.edu
Rowan University
Bachelor's
68 SAT: 1100-1310
ACT: 26-30
Glassboro, New Jersey Public rowan.edu
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Bachelor's
Master's
62 SAT: 1320-1480
ACT: 30-34
Dallas, Texas Private smu.edu
Pace University
Bachelor's
56 SAT: 1130-1328
ACT: 24-29
New York, New York Private pace.edu
The University of Texas (UTEP)
Bachelor's
45 SAT: 870-1090
ACT: 17-23
El Paso, Texas Public utep.edu
Washington State University (WSU)
Bachelor's
44 N/A Pullman, Washington Public wsu.edu
Santa Monica College (SMC)
Associate's
Other Award
43 N/A Santa Monica, California Public smc.edu
Iowa State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
43 SAT: 1110-1350
ACT: 21-28
Ames, Iowa Public iastate.edu
San Jose State University (SJSU)
Bachelor's
40 N/A San Jose, California Public sjsu.edu
Western Kentucky University (WKU)
Bachelor's
Other Award
37 SAT: 820-1010
ACT: 16-20
Bowling Green, Kentucky Public wku.edu
Marquette University
Bachelor's
37 SAT: 1190-1360
ACT: 26-31
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Private marquette.edu
Siena College
Bachelor's
36 SAT: 1093-1360
ACT: 26-29
Loudonville, New York Private siena.edu
University of Florida (UF Online)
Bachelor's
34 SAT: 1255-1390
ACT: 27-31
Gainesville, Florida Public ufonline.ufl.edu
Ball State University (BSU)
Bachelor's
32 SAT: 1080-1250
ACT: 25-30
Muncie, Indiana Public bsu.edu
Keiser University
Bachelor's
28 N/A Fort Lauderdale, Florida Private keiseruniversity.edu
St. John's University (SJU)
Bachelor's
Master's
27 SAT: 1110-1320
ACT: 24-29
Queens, New York Private stjohns.edu
Sinclair Community College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
26 N/A Dayton, Ohio Public sinclair.edu
School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master's
25 SAT: 1165-1450
ACT: 21-31
New York, New York Private sva.edu
University of Southern Indiana (USI)
Bachelor's
21 SAT: 1020-1220
ACT: 22-28
Evansville, Indiana Public usi.edu
Suffolk University
Bachelor's
21 SAT: 1090-1280
ACT: 24-32
Boston, Massachusetts Private suffolk.edu
Kent State University
Bachelor's
21 SAT: 1000-1230
ACT: 18-25
Kent, Ohio Public kent.edu
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Bachelor's
19 N/A Santurce, Puerto Rico Private sagrado.edu
Pepperdine University
Bachelor's
18 SAT: 1250-1450
ACT: 26-32
Malibu, California Private pepperdine.edu
University of San Francisco (USF)
Bachelor's
18 SAT: 1210-1390
ACT: 26-31
San Francisco, California Private usfca.edu
CUNY Queens College
Bachelor's
17 SAT: 1100-1320 Queens, New York Public qc.cuny.edu
University of Scranton
Bachelor's
17 SAT: 1150-1320
ACT: 25-30
Scranton, Pennsylvania Private scranton.edu
Central Michigan University (CMU)
Bachelor's
16 SAT: 960-1210
ACT: 21-27
Mount Pleasant, Michigan Public cmich.edu
Bowling Green State University (BGSU)
Bachelor's
16 SAT: 1020-1230
ACT: 20-26
Bowling Green, Ohio Public bgsu.edu
South Dakota State University (SDSU)
Bachelor's
16 SAT: 1040-1300
ACT: 19-26
Brookings, South Dakota Public sdstate.edu
University of Memphis (UofM)
Bachelor's
16 SAT: 905-1205
ACT: 17-24
Memphis, Tennessee Public memphis.edu
Western Michigan University (WMU)
Bachelor's
15 SAT: 990-1220
ACT: 20-27
Kalamazoo, Michigan Public wmich.edu
Columbia College Chicago (CCC)
Bachelor's
14 N/A Chicago, Illinois Private colum.edu
University of Idaho (U of I)
Bachelor's
13 SAT: 950-1200
ACT: 20-29
Moscow, Idaho Public uidaho.edu
Montclair State University
Bachelor's
13 SAT: 940-1225 Montclair, New Jersey Public montclair.edu
Palomar College
Associate's
Other Award
11 N/A San Marcos, California Public www2.palomar.edu
Webster University
Bachelor's
Master's
11 SAT: 1006-1233
ACT: 20-28
Saint Louis, Missouri Private webster.edu
Johnson & Wales University
Bachelor's
11 SAT: 970-1230
ACT: 20-26
Providence, Rhode Island Private jwu.edu
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Bachelor's
10 SAT: 1058-1175
ACT: 19-24
Phoenix, Arizona Private gcu.edu
University of St Thomas
Bachelor's
10 SAT: 1223-1416
ACT: 25-30
Saint Paul, Minnesota Private stthomas.edu
University of Puerto Rico (UPRC)
Bachelor's
10 SAT: 785-1019 Carolina, Puerto Rico Public uprc.edu
Drake University
Bachelor's
9 SAT: 1190-1390
ACT: 24-30
Des Moines, Iowa Private drake.edu
North Dakota State University (NDSU)
Other Award
9 ACT: 19-24 Fargo, North Dakota Public ndsu.edu
Loyola University Chicago (LUC)
Bachelor's
8 SAT: 1160-1340
ACT: 27-31
Chicago, Illinois Private luc.edu
Murray State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
7 SAT: 950-1190
ACT: 19-26
Murray, Kentucky Public murraystate.edu
Xavier University (XU)
Bachelor's
7 SAT: 1060-1298
ACT: 22-29
Cincinnati, Ohio Private xavier.edu
Johnson & Wales University (JWU)
Bachelor's
7 N/A Providence, Rhode Island Private online.jwu.edu
George Washington University (GW)
Postbac Cert.
6 SAT: 1350-1500
ACT: 31-34
Washington, District of Columbia Private gwu.edu
Lindenwood University
Bachelor's
6 ACT: 19-24 Saint Charles, Missouri Private lindenwood.edu
Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC)
Associate's
6 N/A Utica, New York Public mvcc.edu
Del Mar College (DMC)
Associate's
5 N/A Corpus Christi, Texas Public delmar.edu
University of Houston (UH)
Bachelor's
5 SAT: 1150-1330
ACT: 23-28
Houston, Texas Public uh.edu
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (PUCPR)
Bachelor's
5 SAT: 1123-1336 Ponce, Puerto Rico Private pucpr.edu
Orange Coast College (OCC)
Other Award
4 N/A Costa Mesa, California Public orangecoastcollege.edu
Kean University
Bachelor's
4 SAT: 1020-1198 Union, New Jersey Public kean.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Bachelor's
4 SAT: 1280-1460
ACT: 29-33
Rochester, New York Private rit.edu
Lee University
Bachelor's
4 SAT: 1020-1240
ACT: 20-26
Cleveland, Tennessee Private leeuniversity.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Master's
3 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 24-29
Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
Salem State University (SSU)
Bachelor's
3 SAT: 990-1160 Salem, Massachusetts Public salemstate.edu
Oklahoma Christian University (OC)
Bachelor's
3 SAT: 1000-1220
ACT: 19-27
Edmond, Oklahoma Private oc.edu
Gannon University
Bachelor's
3 N/A Erie, Pennsylvania Private gannon.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWO)
Bachelor's
3 ACT: 18-24 Oshkosh, Wisconsin Public uwosh.edu
Scottsdale Community College (SCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
2 N/A Scottsdale, Arizona Public scottsdalecc.edu
Wesleyan College
Bachelor's
2 SAT: 876-943 Macon, Georgia Private wesleyancollege.edu
Ferris State University (FSU)
Bachelor's
Other Award
2 SAT: 890-1120
ACT: 18-26
Big Rapids, Michigan Public ferris.edu
Santiago Canyon College (SCC)
Other Award
2 N/A Orange, California Public sccollege.edu
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Associate's
2 N/A Johnstown, Pennsylvania Public pennhighlands.edu
Pacific Union College (PUC)
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 930-1190
ACT: 20-24
Angwin, California Private puc.edu
North Park University
Bachelor's
1 N/A Chicago, Illinois Private northpark.edu
North Central Michigan College (NCMC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
1 N/A Petoskey, Michigan Public ncmich.edu
Northwest Missouri State University
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 970-1200
ACT: 18-23
Maryville, Missouri Public nwmissouri.edu
Pennsylvania State University
Other Award
1 SAT: 1110-1320
ACT: 23-28
Erie, Pennsylvania Public behrend.psu.edu
Waynesburg University
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 1000-1220
ACT: 16-25
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Private waynesburg.edu
Southern Adventist University
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 970-1270
ACT: 18-26
Collegedale, Tennessee Private southern.edu
Lamar University (LU)
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 910-1130
ACT: 18-24
Beaumont, Texas Public lamar.edu
University of North Texas (UNT)
Bachelor's
1 SAT: 980-1230
ACT: 19-27
Denton, Texas Public unt.edu
Skagit Valley College (SVC)
Other Award
1 N/A Mount Vernon, Washington Public skagit.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Advertising programs

How much can I earn with a Advertising degree?

Salaries for Advertising graduates vary by role and location. Advertising and Promotions Managers earn a median of $126,960 annually, while Communications Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $77,800. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in New York average $144,290 compared to $40,130 in Hawaii. Approximately 50,360 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Advertising programs?

Currently 94 accredited institutions offer Advertising degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Michigan State University (MSU) (471 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (327 graduates), and University of Oregon (UO) (257 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Advertising growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 5,857 in 2010 to a peak of 4,771 in 2020, before declining slightly to 4,308 in 2023-24. This represents a 26% decrease overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Advertising degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Advertising and Promotions Managers, Communications Teachers, Postsecondary, . Related occupations employ approximately 50,360 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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