DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
← Program directory
COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Communication and Media Studies master's degree at Washington State University

Pullman, WA · 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 notably above similar programs.

$14,497 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
$162,250 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+20%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$61,853 → $74,440
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
16Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
29Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
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.

73Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
28Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
27Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
32Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$58,761Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$86,450$27,689 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: Parent PLUS not reported · 15 Grad PLUS borrowers.

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.

GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE

$86,450 vs. $56,359

$30,091 above the national bachelor’s median in the same field.

Comparison basis673 bachelor’s program records

This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$14,971

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$86,450

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

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$14,971Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$27,648Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE86.6%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE60.5%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.

$61,853Year 1
$86,450Year 4
$74,440Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$7,204
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$86,450 vs. $71,953

$14,497 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
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$159,440 median wageWA estimate · 1,610 jobs · 11-2032$128,760–$198,500 middle 50% of WA wages+5.7% projected U.S. growth · 6,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeWriters and Authors$85,700 median wageWA estimate · 770 jobs · 27-3043$65,330–$109,000 middle 50% of WA wages-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 11,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCommunications Teachers, Postsecondary$75,330 median wageWA estimate · 420 jobs · 25-1122$58,730–$94,950 middle 50% of WA wages+2.1% projected U.S. growth · 2,400 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreePublic Relations Specialists$87,470 median wageWA estimate · 6,430 jobs · 27-3031$71,140–$111,890 middle 50% of WA wages+1.8% projected U.S. growth · 23,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEditors$77,850 median wageWA estimate · 1,860 jobs · 27-3041$56,900–$100,580 middle 50% of WA wages-1.1% projected U.S. growth · 7,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists$54,760 median wageWA estimate · 880 jobs · 27-3023$46,190–$79,640 middle 50% of WA wages-5.9% projected U.S. growth · 3,400 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys$44,420 median wageWA estimate · 620 jobs · 27-3011$43,610–$76,410 middle 50% of WA wages-7.6% projected U.S. growth · 2,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFundraising Managers$137,010 median wageWA estimate · 1,050 jobs · 11-2033$112,090–$182,260 middle 50% of WA wages+5.4% projected U.S. growth · 3,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFundraisers$79,000 median wageWA estimate · 3,870 jobs · 13-1131$61,570–$99,640 middle 50% of WA wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 10,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMedia and Communication Workers, All Other$52,590 median wageWA estimate · 260 jobs · 27-3099$38,090–$81,710 middle 50% of WA 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
Possible alternatives

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.

Chapel Hill, NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

$1,724 higher earnings · $3,316 lower annual net price

Earnings
$88,174
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$11,655
View outcomes →
Detroit, MI

Wayne State University

$1,468 higher earnings · $2,205 lower annual net price

Earnings
$87,918
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$12,766
View outcomes →
Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

$373 higher earnings · $8,430 lower annual net price

Earnings
$86,823
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$6,541
View outcomes →
New York, NY

Columbia University in the City of New York

$33,553 higher earnings

Earnings
$120,003
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$21,590
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

29 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

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 →