BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Graphic Communications worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 69 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$299,404 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.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−107%Estimated return after 10 years
$43,058Observed 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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$199,420
$8,000Annual price−$231,420
$16,000Annual price−$263,420
$24,000Current college-wide context−$295,420
$25,000Current college-wide context−$299,420
$32,000Annual price−$327,420
$40,000Annual price−$359,420
Outcomes at a glance
$43,058Typical earnings four years after completion
$49,911Average earnings five years after completion
$27,000Typical federal student debt
8thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
63College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Graphic Communications
How much do Graphic Communications bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $43,058 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 $27,000. 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 $35,100 to $50,833 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.
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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,274
- Federal debt
- $11,626
- Programs in the comparison
- 24
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $43,058
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 69
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,803
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $23,653
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
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$35,100National median$43,05875th percentile$50,833
63 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
$79,432 four years after completionSan Luis Obispo, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtArizona State University Campus Immersion
$18,964 among completer borrowersTempe, AZ · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classColumbia College Chicago
212 reported awards in 2024–25Chicago, IL · 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.
$75,213Observed year-4 earnings$43,970
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$16,665 price · $79,432 earningsLoyola Marymount University$48,381 price · $76,522 earningsRingling College of Art and Design$57,742 price · $75,213 earningsBrigham Young University$15,564 price · $73,941 earningsBaker College$13,157 price · $67,583 earningsRoger Williams University$37,999 price · $61,887 earningsUniversity of Minnesota-Duluth$18,743 price · $61,062 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Stout$17,490 price · $59,621 earningsUniversity of Maryland Global Campus$22,063 price · $58,759 earningsUniversity of California, Santa Cruz$17,890 price · $58,163 earningsArizona State University Campus Immersion$14,967 price · $57,618 earningsIllinois State University$19,398 price · $55,723 earningsRochester Institute of Technology$34,906 price · $55,122 earningsBowling Green State University-Main Campus$24,022 price · $52,388 earningsCalifornia Baptist University$26,285 price · $51,834 earningsAcademy of Art University$40,613 price · $50,833 earningsWestern Illinois University$12,937 price · $50,751 earningsUniversity of Silicon Valley$27,815 price · $49,968 earningsUniversity of Idaho$14,831 price · $49,188 earningsGeorge Mason University$17,915 price · $47,440 earningsCarroll University$15,193 price · $47,327 earningsUniversity of Charleston$22,107 price · $47,037 earningsDigiPen Institute of Technology$44,446 price · $45,571 earningsDePaul University$30,902 price · $45,028 earningsSUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$18,701 price · $44,661 earningsFerris State University$8,624 price · $44,116 earningsUniversity of Northern Iowa$15,901 price · $44,066 earningsColumbia College Chicago$26,598 price · $43,970 earningsMinneapolis College of Art and Design$29,926 price · $43,745 earnings
$12,937Annual college-wide average net price$44,446
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 →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$79,4322Loyola Marymount University$76,5223Ringling College of Art and Design$75,2134Brigham Young University$73,9415Baker College$67,5836Roger Williams University$61,8877University of Minnesota-Duluth$61,0628University of Wisconsin-Stout$59,6219University of Maryland Global Campus$58,75910University of California, Santa Cruz$58,163Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Higher median wage ↑
-28%Projected employment growth →12%
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.
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.
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.