Communications Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Communications maps to BLS occupations averaging about $98,209, with roughly 54,940 workers nationwide in those roles. About 25,516 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 56%.
Key Statistics
Communications: what the data shows
Common questions about communications degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a communications degree?
A Communications program is classified under NCES CIP 09.0101 in the Communication and Media Studies field family (09.01).
A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications.
IPEDS counted 1,407,476 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of communications degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 09.01 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Communication and Media Studies (CIP 09.0100)
- Communication, General (CIP 09.0100)
- Mass Communication/Media Studies (CIP 09.0102)
How long does it take to get a communications degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0101 in our file:
- 4,556 Associate (14.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 25,516 Bachelor's (79.7% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 1,960 Master's (6.1% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 3 Doctorate (0.0% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in communications?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Public Relations Specialists (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 09.0101, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a communications degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Communications to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 280,590 | $69,780 |
| Editors | 95,480 | $75,260 |
| Writers and Authors | 47,800 | $72,270 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a communications degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Communication and Media Studies bachelor's program family: median debt $28,481, median earnings $56,359 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.82.
About 4.6% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $11,790 and median net price is $16,866.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
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.
Institutions awarding the most Communications degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | 628 |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 467 |
| 3 | James Madison University | VA | 455 |
| 4 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | 376 |
| 5 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | 371 |
| 6 | University of Central Florida | FL | 368 |
| 7 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 362 |
| 8 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | 356 |
| 9 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | 331 |
| 10 | San Diego State University | CA | 321 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
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 Lowest 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 average net price 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.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Communications is in CA (4,254 completions). That state represents about 16.7% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is GU (1.39% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 4,254 | 16.7% | 0.95% |
| NC | 1,423 | 5.6% | 1.15% |
| FL | 1,367 | 5.4% | 0.60% |
| NY | 1,310 | 5.1% | 0.47% |
| OH | 1,226 | 4.8% | 0.89% |
| AZ | 1,206 | 4.7% | 0.87% |
| VA | 1,101 | 4.3% | 0.90% |
| TX | 1,011 | 4.0% | 0.34% |
| NJ | 860 | 3.4% | 1.00% |
| MD | 660 | 2.6% | 0.90% |
| IL | 635 | 2.5% | 0.46% |
| MA | 634 | 2.5% | 0.50% |
| MI | 629 | 2.5% | 0.55% |
| WA | 629 | 2.5% | 0.91% |
| PA | 591 | 2.3% | 0.35% |
| CO | 566 | 2.2% | 0.79% |
| KY | 558 | 2.2% | 1.08% |
| WI | 542 | 2.1% | 0.71% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 09.01 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Communication and Media Studies CIP 09.0100
- Communication, General CIP 09.0100
- Mass Communication/Media Studies CIP 09.0102
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0101 in the survey year used in our extract (32,035 total across levels below).
- 4,556 Associate (14.2% of IPEDS total)
- 25,516 Bachelor's (79.7% of IPEDS total)
- 1,960 Master's (6.1% of IPEDS total)
- 3 Doctorate (0.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $98,209. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Communications graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $95,096 | 280,590 |
| Editors | $106,703 | 95,480 |
| Writers and Authors | $99,513 | 47,800 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Communication and Media Studies CIP family (285 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Communications graduate.
- $28,481 median federal loan debt among completers
- $56,359 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.6% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
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
Debt and earnings fields below come from College Scorecard where present in our degree extract.
Financial value (extract)
$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)
Ten-year earnings in this extract exceed four years of median net price.
$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
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
25,516 Total Degrees Awarded
9,349 Male (36.64%)
16,167 Female (63.36%)
Gender distribution of Communications degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
14,782 White (57.93%)
4,410 Hispanic or Latino (17.28%)
2,390 Black or African American (9.37%)
1,180 Two or More Races (4.62%)
1,136 Asian (4.45%)
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
A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications.
In 2023, 1,407,476 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Communications.
CIP Code
09.0101 - Communications
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,481 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $56,359, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Communications graduate.
Women earned 63.6% of 32,944 Communications completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $98,209. The largest mapped role by headcount is Public Relations Specialists (280,590 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $11,790 in-state at public colleges and $30,242 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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.