Communications and Media
Communication & Journalism · federal classification: Communication and Media Studies
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,616 | $39,744 to $51,972 | 6 | 83% |
| Associate's Degree | $43,972 | $37,229 to $48,492 | 52 | 81% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,058 | $46,740 to $59,905 | 640 | 96% |
| Master's Degree | $64,331 | $57,248 to $76,676 | 76 | 99% |
| Doctoral Degree | $76,868 | $75,616 to $81,331 | 5 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +2% (2025 to 2035), about 72,400 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $74,750 | +1.8% | 23,000 |
| Writers and Authors | $76,910 | -0.3% | 11,900 |
| Fundraisers | $72,550 | +5.5% | 10,000 |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | 7,900 |
| Public Relations Managers | $146,910 | +5.7% | 6,100 |
| Fundraising Managers | $125,470 | +5.4% | 3,700 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a communications and media program, of 1,285 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- California State University-Fullerton
- Arizona State University Digital Immersion
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- University of Southern California
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Texas A&M University-College Station
- Full Sail University
- Ohio State University-Main Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.