Communication and Media Studies Degree

613 schools compared · Average earnings $35,147/yr

Students study how messages are created, distributed, and interpreted across various media platforms, including theories of persuasion, media effects, and digital communication. Graduates typically pursue careers in corporate communications, media planning, public relations, social media management, and market research. Communication skills are consistently ranked among the most sought-after abilities by employers across industries.

What Communication and Media Studies Graduates Do

Your degree in Communication and Media Studies prepares you for a world of persuasion and storytelling. As a public relations specialist, you’ll spend your days pitching stories to journalists and managing a company's social media during a crisis. In a writing role, you might ghostwrite a CEO's opinion piece or draft marketing copy. As a fundraiser, you’ll identify potential donors and organize events to meet financial goals. The path often begins in these specialist roles before advancing to a management position, like a PR or fundraising manager, where you oversee strategy and a team, often doubling your earning potential.

While roles in public relations and fundraising are growing, traditional journalism and editing face significant headwinds with slow or declining growth. Across all these fields, artificial intelligence is a transformative force. With an average AI exposure of 63%, expect fundamental changes. AI now handles the first drafts and routine research that junior staff once did, making entry-level jobs scarcer. Your value will shift from pure creation to directing AI tools, critically evaluating their output, and applying the strategic judgment and ethical oversight that only a human can provide.

Schools Offering
613
Avg Grad Earnings
$35,147/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
36/100
AI Automation Risk
High
54% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Communication and Media Studies graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 83,300 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Public relations managers
$138,520
$102K$198K
6,600 +5.0% 55%
Fundraising managers
$123,480
$93K$166K
3,600 +4.2% 56%
Communications teachers, postsecondary
$77,800
$60K$103K
2,700 +2.1% 43%
Editors
$75,260
$50K$101K
9,800 +0.6% 65%
Writers and authors
$72,270
$53K$98K
13,400 +3.6% 89%
Media and communication workers, all other
$71,770
$53K$100K
3,000 +2.7% 0%
Public relations specialists
$69,780
$52K$96K
27,600 +4.8% 59%
Fundraisers
$66,490
$53K$85K
10,200 +4.3% 52%
News analysts, reporters, and journalists
$60,280
$40K$97K
4,100 -3.9% 65%
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
$45,680
$33K$72K
2,300 -5.5% 65%
Public relations managers
$138,520
$102K $198K
6,600 openings/yr +5.0% growth 55% AI risk
Fundraising managers
$123,480
$93K $166K
3,600 openings/yr +4.2% growth 56% AI risk
Communications teachers, postsecondary
$77,800
$60K $103K
2,700 openings/yr +2.1% growth 43% AI risk
Editors
$75,260
$50K $101K
9,800 openings/yr +0.6% growth 65% AI risk
Writers and authors
$72,270
$53K $98K
13,400 openings/yr +3.6% growth 89% AI risk
Media and communication workers, all other
$71,770
$53K $100K
3,000 openings/yr +2.7% growth 0% AI risk
Public relations specialists
$69,780
$52K $96K
27,600 openings/yr +4.8% growth 59% AI risk
Fundraisers
$66,490
$53K $85K
10,200 openings/yr +4.3% growth 52% AI risk
News analysts, reporters, and journalists
$60,280
$40K $97K
4,100 openings/yr -3.9% growth 65% AI risk
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys
$45,680
$33K $72K
2,300 openings/yr -5.5% growth 65% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Communication and Media Studies

Top 20 of 613 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD
63
56–64
$53,513/yr 21.4x
2 Colorado State University Global
Aurora, CO
62
55–63
$49,436/yr 21.7x
3 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
61
54–62
$62,183/yr 14.1x
4 CUNY Graduate School and University Center
New York, NY
61
54–62
$57,782/yr 19.7x
5 University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
59
51–60
$43,696/yr 14.7x
6 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
57
50–58
$50,556/yr 10.8x
7 Utah Valley University
Orem, UT
57
50–58
$44,202/yr 23.3x
8 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD
57
50–58
$43,696/yr 15.5x
9 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
57
49–58
$43,348/yr 17.8x
10 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
57
50–58
$40,790/yr 22.4x
11 University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
55
47–56
$46,598/yr 11.3x
12 CUNY City College
New York, NY
55
47–56
$42,734/yr 19.3x
13 Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN
54
47–55
$46,320/yr 14.3x
14 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA
54
46–55
$44,638/yr 12.5x
15 University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA
54
47–55
$44,638/yr 12.6x
16 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA
54
46–55
$44,638/yr 12.3x
17 Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
54
47–55
$43,420/yr 22.3x
18 Weber State University
Ogden, UT
54
47–55
$43,209/yr 20.8x
19 California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
54
47–55
$39,304/yr 19.8x
20 University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA
53
46–54
$47,368/yr 8.5x

Highest Earning Communication and Media Studies Programs

Schools where Communication and Media Studies graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo $62,183/yr 61
Cornell University $62,182/yr 50
Ashford University $58,089/yr 47
CUNY Graduate School and University Center $57,782/yr 61
Boston College $55,162/yr 46
University of Maryland Global Campus $53,513/yr 63
University of Pennsylvania $53,022/yr 48
Villanova University $52,294/yr 42
Northwestern University $52,210/yr 48
Santa Clara University $51,720/yr 44

Best ROI for Communication and Media Studies

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Communication and Media Studies.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Florida State College at Jacksonville 31.5x $43,508/yr 49
University of North Carolina at Pembroke 27.1x $26,411/yr 36
Western Carolina University 25.8x $28,996/yr 42
Brigham Young University-Idaho 25.8x $36,941/yr 49
Florida Atlantic University 24.9x $34,720/yr 47
Utah Valley University 23.3x $44,202/yr 57
California State University-East Bay 22.9x $35,722/yr 53
San Francisco State University 22.4x $40,790/yr 57
Kennesaw State University 22.3x $43,420/yr 54
Colorado State University Global 21.7x $49,436/yr 62
Want to compare two Communication and Media Studies programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Communication and Media Studies offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Communication and Media Studies graduates earn?
Across 613 schools, Communication and Media Studies graduates earn an average of $35,147 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $8,558 to $62,183 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Communication and Media Studies?
Communication and Media Studies is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 54% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Communication and Media Studies program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Maryland Global Campus ranks #1 for Communication and Media Studies with a score of 63/100 and graduate earnings of $53,513/yr.
What's the outlook for a Communication and Media Studies degree?
On average, Communication and Media Studies graduates earn 8.0x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →