Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication maps to BLS occupations averaging about $150,958, with roughly 33,780 workers nationwide in those roles. About 3,484 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 58%.
Key Statistics
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication: what the data shows
Common questions about radio, television, and digital communication degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a radio, television, and digital communication degree?
A Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program is classified under NCES CIP 09.0701 in the Radio, Television, and Digital Communication field family (09.07).
A program that focuses on the theories, methods, and techniques used to plan, produce, and distribute audio and video programs and messages, and that prepares individuals to function as staff, producers, directors, and managers of radio and television shows and media organizations. Includes instruction in media aesthetics; planning, scheduling, and production; writing and editing; performing and directing; personnel and facilities management; marketing and distribution; media regulations, law, and policy; and principles of broadcast technology
IPEDS counted 3,484 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
How long does it take to get a radio, television, and digital communication degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0701 in our file:
- 1,191 Associate (24.7% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 3,484 Bachelor's (72.3% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 141 Master's (2.9% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
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 radio, television, and digital communication?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Installation, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers (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 09.0701, 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 radio, television, and digital communication degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Radio, Television, and Digital Communication 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers | 11,400 | $64,190 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | 24,460 | $68,810 |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | 23,880 | $45,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a radio, television, and digital communication degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Radio, Television, and Digital Communication bachelor's program family: median debt $31,825, median earnings $50,497 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.06.
About 5.1% 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 $6,368 and median net price is $16,539.
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 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$6,368 Median In-State Public
$37,882 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication majors are, on average, $6,368 for in-state public colleges, and $37,882 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication programs.
Institutions awarding the most Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Northridge | CA | 426 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 337 |
| 3 | Boston University | MA | 192 |
| 4 | University of North Texas | TX | 187 |
| 5 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | 167 |
| 6 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | 154 |
| 7 | Syracuse University | NY | 139 |
| 8 | Temple University | PA | 130 |
| 9 | Saddleback College | CA | 129 |
| 10 | University of Florida | FL | 126 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 156,755 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 4 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 5 | Liberty University | VA | 50,059 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Radio, Television, and Digital Communication programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 3 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
| 4 | College of the Redwoods | CA | $1,147 |
| 5 | Laney College | CA | $1,148 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coahoma Community College | MS | $560 |
| 2 | Oxnard College | CA | $659 |
| 3 | Cerritos College | CA | $693 |
| 4 | Moorpark College | CA | $742 |
| 5 | College of San Mateo | CA | $1,504 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication programs.
Graduation Rates
58.49% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.39% Average Graduation Rate
95 Institutions Reporting
48.47% - 70.60% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication 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 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication is in CA (1,056 completions). That state represents about 30.3% 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 TX (0.28% 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 | 1,056 | 30.3% | 0.23% |
| TX | 823 | 23.6% | 0.28% |
| NY | 362 | 10.4% | 0.13% |
| FL | 225 | 6.5% | 0.10% |
| MA | 189 | 5.4% | 0.15% |
| PA | 136 | 3.9% | 0.08% |
| IL | 135 | 3.9% | 0.10% |
| OH | 125 | 3.6% | 0.09% |
| NC | 113 | 3.2% | 0.09% |
| KY | 68 | 1.9% | 0.13% |
| AZ | 61 | 1.8% | 0.04% |
| AL | 34 | 1.0% | 0.05% |
| WI | 32 | 0.9% | 0.04% |
| MI | 23 | 0.7% | 0.02% |
| MO | 23 | 0.7% | 0.03% |
| IN | 21 | 0.6% | 0.02% |
| PR | 19 | 0.6% | 0.06% |
| MN | 17 | 0.5% | 0.02% |
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 09.0701 in the survey year used in our extract (4,816 total across levels below).
- 1,191 Associate (24.7% of IPEDS total)
- 3,484 Bachelor's (72.3% of IPEDS total)
- 141 Master's (2.9% 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 $150,958. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers | $82,260 | 11,400 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | $101,783 | 24,460 |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | $161,914 | 23,880 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $62,247 | 12,460 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
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 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication CIP family (73 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduate.
- $31,825 median federal loan debt among completers
- $50,497 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.06 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.1% 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
$165,446 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication majors is $165,446.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication majors.
Occupations by Share
33,780 2023 Workforce
The number of Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.
Age distribution for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
3,484 Total Degrees Awarded
1,843 Male (52.90%)
1,641 Female (47.10%)
Gender distribution of Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
1,658 White (47.59%)
985 Hispanic or Latino (28.27%)
262 Black or African American (7.52%)
228 Asian (6.54%)
152 Two or More Races (4.36%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Radio, Television, and Digital Communication degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Radio, Television, and Digital Communication field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication 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 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication majors.
About
A program that focuses on the theories, methods, and techniques used to plan, produce, and distribute audio and video programs and messages, and that prepares individuals to function as staff, producers, directors, and managers of radio and television shows and media organizations. Includes instruction in media aesthetics; planning, scheduling, and production; writing and editing; performing and directing; personnel and facilities management; marketing and distribution; media regulations, law, and policy; and principles of broadcast technology
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.
CIP Code
09.0701 - Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $31,825 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $50,497, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduate.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $150,958. The largest mapped role by headcount is Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers (11,400 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $6,368 in-state at public colleges and $37,882 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.