Carthage PR program ranks No. 5 nationally in early salary

Based on median salaries one year after graduation, a data-driven college search tool ranks the Carthage public relations program No. 5 in the country.

Colleen Palmer Using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, GradReports calculated that Carthage PR graduates had a median salary of $42,600 — higher than all but four schools nationwide. GradReports is a product of Optimal, a leading higher education researcher and publisher.

Colleen Palmer, visiting professor of communication and digital media, says Carthage prepares PR students for the workplace by giving them plenty of chances to apply their skills. For example, those in the Public Relations Writing and Public Relations Campaigns classes work alongside a real business client.

“By having an actual business to study, analyze, and write for,” she says, “the students not only get that practical application of their work, but they also end their class work with a viewable portfolio that includes writing materials and social media materials for an actual business.”