UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 10 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$31,878 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$31,878Median year-4 earnings
$24,351Average institution net-price context
$9,500Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$31,878Typical earnings four years after completion
$33,438Average earnings five years after completion
$9,500Typical federal student debt
12thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
602Degrees awarded in 2024–25
9College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 9 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
How much do Radio, Television, and Digital Communication undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $31,878 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $9,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $31,878 to $35,062 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Radio, Television, and Digital Communication?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 9 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.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $31,878
- Federal debt
- $9,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 10
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $37,102
- Federal debt
- $11,647
- Programs in the comparison
- 15
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,359
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 165
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,242
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 20
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$31,878National median$31,87875th percentile$35,062
9 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
University of Georgia
$73,835 four years after completionAthens, GA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtIllinois Media School
$9,500 among completer borrowersChicago, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classOhio Media School-Valley View
106 reported awards in 2024–25Valley View, OH · 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.
$54,680Observed year-4 earnings$27,726
University of Georgia$13,936 price · $73,835 earningsUniversity of Missouri-Columbia$20,268 price · $54,680 earningsIllinois Media School$27,238 price · $35,062 earningsIllinois Media School-Chicago Campus$26,435 price · $35,062 earningsOhio Media School-Valley View$24,111 price · $31,878 earningsColorado Media School$30,514 price · $31,878 earningsOhio Media School-Columbus$24,913 price · $31,878 earningsOhio Media School-Cincinnati$25,659 price · $27,726 earningsMiami Media School$29,429 price · $27,726 earnings
$13,936Annual college-wide average net price$29,429
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
10 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 10 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Georgia$73,8352University of Missouri-Columbia$54,6803Illinois Media School$35,0624Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus$35,0625Ohio Media School-Valley View$31,8786Colorado Media School$31,8787Ohio Media School-Columbus$31,8788Ohio Media School-Cincinnati$27,7269Miami Media School$27,72610Husson UniversityNot availableObserved 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 ↑
-10%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.
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 rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeWeb and Digital Interface Designers$104,000 median wage113,330 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 8,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,750–$201,550 typical wage rangeProducers and Directors$90,360 median wage143,120 jobs nationwide+4.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$45,780–$198,540 typical wage rangeFilm and Video Editors$75,420 median wage25,610 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 3,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$40,280–$148,550 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 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 rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.