COMPARE THE COSTS
As you can see, The University of Texas at Austin is highly regarded as a major research university, with many of its colleges and departments rank among the best in the nation. In spite of this, it is one of the least expensive universities in the country. Even among state-supported schools, which typically cost far less than private schools, it compares quite favorably.
Conclusions
It is impossible to objectively rank ad programs, because such rankings are reliant on the perspectives of different groups of people. However, if you look at the pattern - how UT compares to other schools when ranked in a variety of different ways - the advertising program at The University of Texas at Austin is consistently at or near the top of each list. And if you factor in the breadth of other quality programs at the University, along with the low cost, an education in the UT Department of Advertising is clearly a terrific value.
Sources:
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Goldman, Debra (1993). The Future: get used to it. What the world looks like to the post-everything kids who've gone into advertising. Adweek, (Sept. 20), 30.
Keenan, Kevin (1991). Unpublished study ranking undergraduate advertising programs. University of Maryland.
Richards, J. I., and Taylor, E. G. (1996, in press). Rankings of Advertising Programs by Advertising Educators. Journal of Advertising Education, 1(1).
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Stout, Patricia, and Richards, Jef I. (1993). Advertising Agency Views on Graduate Education in Advertising. An unpublished study, University of Texas at Austin.