COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES
Communication and Media Studies bachelor's degree at University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME · Public
What this page covers
Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.
The short version
Reported earnings are close to similar programs.
$3,326 below the national median for the same field and degree level.
- Debt as a share of earnings
- 42.7% of annual earnings
- Highest price with a positive payoff
- Not reached
- Modeled 10-year payoff
- −66% · Negative payoff
- Available price data
- College-wide context only
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−$99,670
$8,000Annual price−$131,670
$14,000Current college-wide context−$155,670
$16,000Annual price−$163,670
$24,000Annual price−$195,670
$32,000Annual price−$227,670
$40,000Annual price−$259,670
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT
Size, aid and an earnings floor.
The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,497Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$53,033$16,536 above the preliminary benchmark
Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.
01 · PRICE CONTEXT$13,596
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWING$22,623
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$53,033
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENT$240/mo
Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.
ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE PROGRAM REPORTS
1 related offering reported to the Department of Labor
These provider-reported records add named prices, completion and employment context where available. They describe a separate workforce-program cohort and may include non-degree training, so they are not blended into the College Scorecard earnings or DegreeVerdict ROI.
Communication
- Reported price
- $0
- Completion
- 94.0%
- Employed in Q2
- 73.0%
- Q2 quarterly earnings
- $10,332
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Published college costs provide the starting point.
Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.
Enter my price →AVERAGE NET PRICE$13,596Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$23,717Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE79.2%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE40.4%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?
Reported earnings after completion.
Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
5.4% of gross monthly earnings
Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.
Gross monthly earnings$4,419
Estimated loan payment$240
90borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$53,033 vs. $56,359
$3,326 below the national median for the same field and credential.
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?
Related occupations, wages and outlook.
Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.
BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.Public Relations Managers$166,940 median wageME estimate · 74,850 jobs · 11-2032$108,630–$178,670 middle 50% of ME wages+5.7% projected U.S. growth · 6,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCommunications Teachers, Postsecondary$78,000 median wageME estimate · 60 jobs · 25-1122$61,450–$108,590 middle 50% of ME wages+2.1% projected U.S. growth · 2,400 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeWriters and Authors$76,910 median wageU.S. estimate · 200 jobs · 27-3043-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 11,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePublic Relations Specialists$62,450 median wageME estimate · 1,400 jobs · 27-3031$48,130–$79,940 middle 50% of ME wages+1.8% projected U.S. growth · 23,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEditors$50,180 median wageME estimate · 300 jobs · 27-3041$46,280–$73,390 middle 50% of ME wages-1.1% projected U.S. growth · 7,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$50,090 median wageME estimate · 250 jobs · 27-3023$41,190–$59,690 middle 50% of ME wages-5.9% projected U.S. growth · 3,400 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$44,000 median wageME estimate · 170 jobs · 27-3011$30,910–$55,970 middle 50% of ME wages-7.6% projected U.S. growth · 2,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFundraising Managers$116,470 median wageME estimate · 220 jobs · 11-2033$101,030–$143,660 middle 50% of ME wages+5.4% projected U.S. growth · 3,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFundraisers$66,790 median wageME estimate · 930 jobs · 13-1131$56,940–$80,660 middle 50% of ME wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 10,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMedia and Communication Workers, All Other$47,720 median wageME estimate · 50 jobs · 27-3099$33,770–$55,480 middle 50% of ME wages+3.9% projected U.S. growth · 2,000 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentNO MATCHNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 99-9999
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS
Where graduates work five years later
The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.
Educational Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Finance and Insurance
Retail Trade
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.
Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.
University of Maine
$5,273 higher earnings
- Earnings
- $58,306
- Debt
- $26,057
- Annual net price
- $17,510
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
$26,615 higher earnings · $2,247 less debt · $458 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $79,648
- Debt
- $20,376
- Annual net price
- $13,138
University of California, Berkeley
$22,579 higher earnings · $11,443 less debt · $115 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $75,612
- Debt
- $11,180
- Annual net price
- $13,481
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
$17,207 higher earnings · $7,123 less debt · $1,941 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $70,240
- Debt
- $15,500
- Annual net price
- $11,655
DATA QUALITY
Check the evidence behind the estimate.
50 observations in the earnings cohort
June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release
Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page
Your price and current earnings determine the result.
Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.
Calculate my payoff →