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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 24 college programs with reportable data.

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

−$130,731 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.

19.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−48%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,122Observed 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$59,122 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

$59,122Typical earnings four years after completion
$56,842Average earnings five years after completion
$24,500Typical federal student debt
44thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
7Degrees awarded in 2024–25
22College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other

How much do Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $59,122 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 $24,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $50,593 to $66,866 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 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
$58,841
Federal debt
$25,473
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$39,729
Federal debt
$18,375
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$59,122
Federal debt
$24,500
Programs in the comparison
24
22 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$73,912
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
7
7 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$50,593National median$59,12275th percentile$66,866
22 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$66,86675th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$24,500Median federal debt across programs that report it
3Programs 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 Minnesota-Twin Cities

$74,597 four years after completionMinneapolis, MN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Farmingdale State College

$16,870 among completer borrowersFarmingdale, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Howard University

121 reported awards in 2024–25Washington, DC · 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.

$68,806Observed year-4 earnings$45,909
$11,346Annual college-wide average net price$35,333
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.

24 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 24 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$74,5972Seton Hall University$70,6113California Lutheran University$68,8064High Point University$67,0855University of St Thomas$66,8766Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks$66,8667Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$66,8668Pennsylvania State University-World Campus$66,8669Farmingdale State College$62,60810West Virginia University$61,411

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.

Communications 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 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 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 range

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

Communication and Media Studies

Year-4 earnings
$54,091
Federal debt
$25,000
699 reporting programs →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 →

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.