Communication & Media graduates earn $56,359 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $39,575 and $76,115. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Communication & Media as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Communication and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Communication & Media is a focused area of study within Communication. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $56,359 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 1,406 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 56,620 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$34,746
Median Earnings · 4yr
$56,359
Colleges Offering
1,406
Graduates / Year
56,620
Avg Net Price / yr
$16,224
How Much Do Communication & Media Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Communication & Media, a typical graduate earns $56,359, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $39,575 and $76,115, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $34,746 at one year out to $56,359 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$56,359
4-Year National Median
Near the national median for college graduates.
$54,195
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Communication & Media graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$39,57525th pct.
$56,359Median
$76,11575th pct.
A Solid Financial Return
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $56,359 and an estimated $64,896 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.5 years.
Based on outcomes from 1,140 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 56,620 students who complete Communication & Media programs each year, the majority (81%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
81%
Bachelor's81%
Associate's9%
Master's9%
What Can You Do With a Communication & Media Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Communication & Media graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Public Relations Managers pay the most at $146,910/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.
Doctoral or professional degree2,400 openings/yr29K employed nationally
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionInstructingSpeakingWriting
Day-to-day responsibilities
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.
Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.
Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.
Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.
Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
Organize activities to raise funds or otherwise solicit and gather monetary donations or other gifts for an organization. May design and produce promotional materials. May also raise awareness of the organization's work, goals, and financial needs.
Identify and build relationships with potential donors.
Secure commitments of participation or donation from individuals or corporate donors.
Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.
Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
Top Colleges for Communication & Media
Not sure where to study Communication & Media? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Communication & Media graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Communication Programs
Communication & Media is not the only path through Communication: 5 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Communication & Media program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Communication & Media shows 4 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Above-average earningsFour-year median of $56,359 puts graduates ahead of many humanities and social science programs.
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $34,746 at graduation to $56,359 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +5.7% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 68,400 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
CONS
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas3 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($39,575) and 75th ($76,115) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
Communication & Media Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Communication & Media graduates earn?
$56,359 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $39,575 and $76,115, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Communication & Media degree?
$34,746 in the first year out. That grows to $56,359 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Communication & Media degree?
Public Relations Managers are one path, and it pays a median of $146,910 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Communication & Media program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Communication & Media bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Communication & Media?
1,406 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Communication & Media degree worth it?
$56,359 median earnings four years out against $16,224 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Communication & Media and Communication?
Communication & Media is the narrower of the two: Communication covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Communication & Media-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Communication & Media graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Communication & Media graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Communication & Media graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +1.7% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Public Relations Managers are among the strongest-growth roles at +5.7%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Communication Programs
Other programs in Communication. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
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