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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Graphic Communications 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

−$172,446 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−164%Estimated return after 10 years
$38,274Observed 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$38,274 observed annual earnings · 2 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

$38,274Typical earnings four years after completion
$34,241Average earnings five years after completion
$11,626Typical federal student debt
17thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1Degrees awarded in 2024–25
23College 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 Graphic Communications

How much do Graphic Communications associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $38,274 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $11,626. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Graphic Communications?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $31,355 to $41,643 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Graphic Communications?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 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
$34,184
Federal debt
$11,250
Programs in the comparison
8
7 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$38,274
Federal debt
$11,626
Programs in the comparison
24
23 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$43,058
Federal debt
$27,000
Programs in the comparison
69
63 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$58,803
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$23,653
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 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$31,355National median$38,27475th percentile$41,643
23 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$41,64375th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$11,626Median federal debt across programs that report it
2Programs 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

Salt Lake Community College

$50,857 four years after completionSalt Lake City, UT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Middlesex College

$8,525 among completer borrowersEdison, NJ · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

77 reported awards in 2024–25New York, NY · 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.

$44,152Observed year-4 earnings$24,335
$2,979Annual college-wide average net price$13,031
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.

23 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 23 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Salt Lake Community College$50,8572Ferris State University$45,0333Austin Community College District$44,1524Camden County College$43,9015Columbus State Community College$42,6346Hawkeye Community College$41,7267Front Range Community College$41,6438South Central College$40,7699Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology$40,11710Lake Washington Institute of Technology$39,874

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.

Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690 median wage23,840 jobs nationwide-15.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$35,810–$66,080 typical wage rangePrinting Press Operators$45,780 median wage144,260 jobs nationwide-8.7% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$33,330–$63,520 typical wage rangeDesktop Publishers$55,290 median wage3,350 jobs nationwide-14.5% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$35,680–$96,170 typical wage rangeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 median wage19,970 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,600–$177,110 typical wage rangeEtchers and Engravers$43,310 median wage7,750 jobs nationwide-0.7% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$32,210–$63,360 typical wage rangeData Entry Keyers$41,340 median wage127,080 jobs nationwide-25.5% projected growth through 2035 · 7,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$31,200–$58,790 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.

Associate's Degree

Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$33,442
Federal debt
$17,623
35 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Communications Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$31,998
Federal debt
$12,750
4 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.