Communications
Communications graduates earn an average annual wage of $98,968, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 54,940 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Communications and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$11,790 Median In-State Public
$30,242 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Communications majors are, on average, $11,790 for in-state public colleges, and $30,242 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Communications programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
1,407,476 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Communications from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Communications.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | ID | 42,090 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Communications programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Lassen Community College | CA | $1,144 |
| 5 | College of the Redwoods | CA | $1,147 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Communications programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Central Carolina Community College | NC | $616 |
| 3 | Fort Scott Community College | KS | $665 |
| 4 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $1,228 |
| 5 | West Shore Community College | MI | $1,335 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Communications programs.
Graduation Rates
55.88% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
55.65% Average Graduation Rate
1,198 Institutions Reporting
44.12% - 67.70% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Communications programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Communications graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$98,968 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Communications majors is $98,968.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Communications majors.
Occupations by Share
54,940 2023 Workforce
The number of Communications graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Communications by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Communications degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
$13,532 Median Student Debt
$40,568 Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
33.36% Debt-to-Earnings Ratio
3.3 years Estimated Payback Period (assuming 10% of income)
501.30% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
This degree shows strong ROI, with 10-year earnings significantly exceeding the cost of education.
$67,466 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for Communications degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Communications in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Communications.
Age distribution for Communications degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Communications degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Communications degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Communications are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Communications.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Communications field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Communications majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Communications majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Communications majors.
About
Communication and Media Studies
In 2023, 1,407,476 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Communications.
CIP Code
09.0101 - Communications
Insights and Analysis
Exceptional Return on Investment: Communications offers an outstanding ROI of 501%, meaning graduates typically earn significantly more over 10 years than the total cost of their education. This makes it one of the most financially rewarding degree choices available.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.