Median earnings of communication and media studies graduates (master's degree) one year after graduation, at 71 colleges. National median: $56,486, rising to $68,404 after four years.
| # | College | State | Earnings after 1 yr | After 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $93,048 | $120,003 | — |
| 2 | Northwestern University | IL | $88,413 | $116,101 | — |
| 3 | George Mason University | VA | $83,092 | — | — |
| 4 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $82,189 | $107,409 | $46,630 |
| 5 | Washington State University | WA | $81,652 | $86,450 | $33,699 |
| 6 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $76,161 | $84,920 | $30,644 |
| 7 | Westminster University | UT | $74,068 | $83,871 | — |
| 8 | American University | DC | $72,279 | $94,424 | $48,292 |
| 9 | University of Southern California | CA | $71,664 | $91,873 | $74,960 |
| 10 | San Diego State University | CA | $68,720 | $84,280 | — |
| 11 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $68,161 | $88,174 | $49,937 |
| 12 | Monmouth University | NJ | $67,995 | — | — |
| 13 | University of San Francisco | CA | $67,426 | — | — |
| 14 | University of Florida | FL | $66,537 | $86,823 | $26,788 |
| 15 | La Salle University | PA | $65,362 | $63,334 | — |
| 16 | Lasell University | MA | $64,184 | $80,449 | — |
| 17 | Weber State University | UT | $63,617 | $84,841 | — |
| 18 | West Virginia University | WV | $62,890 | — | $49,172 |
| 19 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | NC | $62,301 | — | $22,694 |
| 20 | Walden University | MN | $62,139 | $54,533 | — |
| 21 | National University | CA | $61,543 | $63,474 | $20,500 |
| 22 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $60,425 | $68,073 | $30,459 |
| 23 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | $60,425 | $68,073 | $30,459 |
| 24 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $58,593 | $66,353 | $27,387 |
| 25 | Murray State University | KY | $58,542 | — | — |
| 26 | Drake University | IA | $58,440 | — | $32,471 |
| 27 | East Carolina University | NC | $58,180 | $67,749 | $28,512 |
| 28 | Texas Tech University | TX | $58,166 | $60,860 | $25,152 |
| 29 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | MN | $58,108 | $60,662 | — |
| 30 | Stephen F Austin State University | TX | $58,054 | — | — |
| 31 | Marquette University | WI | $58,026 | $76,959 | — |
| 32 | Lynn University | FL | $57,736 | $74,356 | — |
| 33 | Queens University of Charlotte | NC | $57,326 | $76,244 | $41,000 |
| 34 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | $56,948 | — | $31,002 |
| 35 | Sacred Heart University | CT | $56,616 | $66,974 | $20,500 |
| 36 | Webster University | MO | $56,486 | $65,188 | — |
| 37 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $56,465 | — | — |
| 38 | Southern Utah University | UT | $56,226 | — | $20,500 |
| 39 | Florida International University | FL | $55,924 | $71,218 | $38,946 |
| 40 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $55,869 | $60,784 | — |
| 41 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | $55,511 | — | — |
| 42 | The University of Alabama | AL | $55,508 | — | $20,500 |
| 43 | Wayne State University | MI | $54,994 | $87,918 | — |
| 44 | University of Denver | CO | $54,319 | $86,020 | $46,734 |
| 45 | Clark University | MA | $53,414 | — | — |
| 46 | University of Georgia | GA | $53,137 | $53,410 | $56,199 |
| 47 | Texas State University | TX | $52,242 | $70,534 | $39,088 |
| 48 | Illinois State University | IL | $51,562 | $62,006 | — |
| 49 | DePaul University | IL | $51,059 | $68,404 | — |
| 50 | Emerson College | MA | $50,774 | $46,040 | $61,500 |
| 51 | Liberty University | VA | $50,681 | $75,900 | $27,333 |
| 52 | University of Central Missouri | MO | $50,574 | $59,861 | — |
| 53 | Grand Valley State University | MI | $50,432 | $74,663 | — |
| 54 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | $49,709 | $76,869 | — |
| 55 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $49,706 | $55,039 | — |
| 56 | Pennsylvania Western University | PA | $48,645 | $63,323 | — |
| 57 | Georgia State University | GA | $48,263 | $61,655 | $41,000 |
| 58 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $48,113 | $82,390 | — |
| 59 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $48,107 | — | $27,312 |
| 60 | Regent University | VA | $47,970 | $76,612 | — |
| 61 | Ball State University | IN | $47,870 | — | — |
| 62 | Eastern Illinois University | IL | $47,761 | — | — |
| 63 | Pace University | NY | $47,131 | $68,374 | — |
| 64 | Boston University | MA | $46,487 | $59,519 | $53,327 |
| 65 | Austin Peay State University | TN | $45,952 | $68,264 | — |
| 66 | South Dakota State University | SD | $45,076 | — | — |
| 67 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | $43,942 | — | — |
| 68 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $42,707 | — | — |
| 69 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $41,984 | $60,235 | — |
| 70 | California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $41,074 | — | — |
| 71 | Texas Southern University | TX | $37,191 | $62,147 | $55,914 |
Earnings are median annual earnings of graduates who received federal financial aid, measured by the U.S. Department of Education. Colleges with too few graduates are not shown.
Frequently asked questions
How much do communication and media studies graduates earn?
The median college reports $56,486 in earnings one year after a master's degree in communication and media studies and $68,404 four years after. The highest is $93,048 at Columbia University in the City of New York.
How much student debt do communication and media studies graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for this degree is about $33,699 at the typical college.