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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 699 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$169,608 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

28.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−65%Estimated return after 10 years
$54,091Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$54,091 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$54,091Typical earnings four years after completion
$53,899Average earnings five years after completion
$25,000Typical federal student debt
32thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
235Degrees awarded in 2024–25
673College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 54 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Communication and Media Studies

How much do Communication and Media Studies bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $54,091 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $25,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Communication and Media Studies?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $48,264 to $59,969 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Communication and Media Studies?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 11 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$47,296
Federal debt
$23,062
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$44,143
Federal debt
$11,944
Programs in the comparison
64
64 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$54,091
Federal debt
$25,000
Programs in the comparison
699
673 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$68,613
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$68,404
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
61
61 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$76,868
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$98,037
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$70,332
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$48,264National median$54,09175th percentile$59,969
673 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$59,96975th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
104Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

University of Pennsylvania

$114,266 four years after completionPhiladelphia, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

University of California, Berkeley

$11,180 among completer borrowersBerkeley, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

University of Southern California

269 reported awards in 2024–25Los Angeles, CA · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$88,463Observed year-4 earnings$73,461
$13,138Annual college-wide average net price$46,555
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Pennsylvania$114,2662Northwestern University$93,5413Cornell University$88,4634Santa Clara University$84,2065Boston College$83,5866Villanova University$81,4977Boston University$80,3068Northeastern University$80,1919Northeastern University Professional Programs$80,19110University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$79,648

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Public Relations Managers$146,910 median wage74,850 jobs nationwide+5.7% projected growth through 2035 · 6,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$82,410–$284,990 typical wage rangeCommunications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,580 median wage29,420 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,590–$143,720 typical wage rangeWriters and Authors$76,910 median wage47,940 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 11,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$44,310–$139,870 typical wage rangeEditors$77,920 median wage91,690 jobs nationwide-1.1% projected growth through 2035 · 7,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,250–$153,700 typical wage rangePublic Relations Specialists$74,750 median wage283,380 jobs nationwide+1.8% projected growth through 2035 · 23,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$44,110–$135,150 typical wage rangeNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$62,200 median wage39,250 jobs nationwide-5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 3,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$36,240–$144,140 typical wage rangeBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$47,340 median wage21,240 jobs nationwide-7.6% projected growth through 2035 · 2,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$28,190–$138,440 typical wage rangeFundraising Managers$125,470 median wage38,810 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 3,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,130–$222,350 typical wage rangeMedia and Communication Workers, All Other$73,620 median wage19,590 jobs nationwide+3.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$39,120–$134,270 typical wage rangeFundraisers$72,550 median wage111,040 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 10,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,630–$115,820 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

Year-4 earnings
$62,087
Federal debt
$24,693
198 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Journalism

Year-4 earnings
$54,396
Federal debt
$24,250
196 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

Year-4 earnings
$49,359
Federal debt
$24,250
165 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other

Year-4 earnings
$59,122
Federal debt
$24,500
24 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

NY50 programs$58,190 average earningsPA46 programs$54,574 average earningsCA42 programs$62,049 average earningsTX38 programs$51,422 average earningsOH33 programs$52,794 average earningsIL28 programs$54,819 average earningsNC24 programs$50,106 average earningsMA24 programs$60,414 average earningsMI20 programs$53,504 average earningsIN20 programs$54,364 average earningsNJ18 programs$55,316 average earningsWI17 programs$55,169 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.