Communication and Media Studies: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 729 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Communication and Media Studies pays
Career outlook for Communication and Media Studies graduates
The job market for the occupations Communication and Media Studies graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public relations specialists | 315,900 | +4.8% | $69,780 | Bachelor's degree |
| Writers and authors | 135,400 | +3.6% | $72,270 | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | 134,400 | +4.3% | $66,490 | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | 115,800 | +0.6% | $75,260 | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations managers | 83,200 | +5.0% | $138,520 | Bachelor's degree |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | 49,300 | -3.9% | $60,280 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Communication and Media Studies vs similar majors
How Communication and Media Studies stacks up against the closest fields in Communication & Journalism on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Communication and Media Studies Communication & Journalism · this major | Publishing | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 32 F | 44 D | 51 C | 43 D |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $54,544 | $66,070 | $62,634 | $60,960 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $36,831 | $48,328 | $42,528 | $42,164 |
| ROI vs cost | +18% | +124% | +118% | +92% |
| Typical debt | $23,539 | $60,535 | $24,638 | $30,965 |
| Colleges offering it | 729 | 4 | 184 | 32 |
Communication and Media Studies earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Communication and Media Studies
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA | Certificate | $58,331 | — | +24,771% | Strong return |
| 2 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA | Certificate | $62,391 | — | +6,158% | Strong return |
| 3 | Gavilan College Gilroy, CA | Certificate | $63,946 | — | +2,796% | Strong return |
| 4 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Certificate | $170,213 | — | +2,167% | Strong return |
| 5 | Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA | Certificate | $53,689 | — | +1,993% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $93,369 | $11,100 | +1,460% | Strong return |
| 7 | Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY | Certificate | $52,717 | — | +1,368% | Strong return |
| 8 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Associate's | $58,558 | $10,875 | +1,265% | Strong return |
| 9 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Certificate | $87,316 | $20,343 | +1,158% | Strong return |
| 10 | Indiana University-Kokomo Kokomo, IN | Associate's | $54,183 | — | +1,057% | Strong return |
| 11 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA | Certificate | $47,794 | — | +1,053% | Strong return |
| 12 | CUNY City College New York, NY | Associate's | $59,593 | $14,858 | +1,025% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $81,316 | $19,941 | +983% | Strong return |
| 14 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | Certificate | $69,616 | — | +871% | Strong return |
| 15 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY | Associate's | $54,761 | $11,260 | +847% | Strong return |
| 16 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA | Certificate | $58,085 | — | +842% | Strong return |
| 17 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Certificate | $80,979 | $31,023 | +813% | Strong return |
| 18 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Certificate | $147,928 | $73,250 | +810% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | Associate's | $68,260 | $15,000 | +802% | Strong return |
| 20 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY | Associate's | $58,907 | $11,750 | +801% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $75,758 | $13,000 | +799% | Strong return |
| 22 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | Associate's | $61,012 | $13,942 | +798% | Strong return |
| 23 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Associate's | $60,920 | $13,000 | +792% | Strong return |
| 24 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA | Associate's | $67,355 | $18,000 | +787% | Strong return |
| 25 | County College of Morris Randolph, NJ | Certificate | $52,713 | — | +767% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.