The economic Score is the combination of debt-to-earnings ratio and earningsplus. We use the economic score to determine a graduate program’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
Median earnings of all students 3 years after graduation.
EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark of all students with the same graduate degree, adjusting for the in-state / out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Communication and media studies is an interdisciplinary field, bridging marketing, public relations, and journalism.
Three years after completing their degree, communications bachelor graduates earn a weighted average salary of $42,058, which is 10% less than the national average for all bachelor students from the same graduation year. Our bachelor-level communications degree rankings cover 588 of the 656 programs available, accounting for 96% of total conferrals.
#1 in Communications|#14 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY City College
New York, New York
Economic score:0.63
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:Under a year
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$45,100
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $1,621
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:64%
Graduation rate:59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#2 in Communications|#4 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY Hunter College
New York, New York
Economic score:0.67
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:Under a year
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$40,757
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $2,701
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:46%
Graduation rate:61%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#3 in Communications|#8 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY Queens College
Queens, New York
Economic score:0.90
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:Under a year
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$42,400
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $987
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:61%
Graduation rate:60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#4 in Communications|#29 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
Economic score:0.97
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:Under a year
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$39,840
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $3,697
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:51%
Graduation rate:59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#5 in Communications|#2 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, New York
Economic score:1.00
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:Under a year
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$36,196
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $7,197
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:51%
Graduation rate:73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#6 in Communications|#36 in Humanities & Social Sciences
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Economic score:1.22
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.3 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$41,842
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $2,139
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:64%
Graduation rate:70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#7 in Communications|#18 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Economic score:1.38
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.9 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$61,158
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $16,758
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:14%
Graduation rate:94%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#8 in Communications|#23 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Economic score:1.46
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.9 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$56,558
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $13,757
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:20%
Graduation rate:94%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#9 in Communications|#42 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Economic score:1.49
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.9 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$49,861
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $10,696
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:20%
Graduation rate:91%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#10 in Communications|#225 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Economic score:1.61
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.1 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$54,113
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $11,871
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:87%
Graduation rate:67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#11 in Communications|#43 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Economic score:1.77
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.8 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$63,398
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $22,694
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:6%
Graduation rate:97%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#12 in Communications|#415 in Humanities & Social Sciences
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York
Economic score:1.82
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.5 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$59,233
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $16,085
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:89%
Graduation rate:64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#13 in Communications|#64 in Humanities & Social Sciences
California State University, East Bay
Hayward, California
Economic score:1.84
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.2 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$53,131
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $7,986
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:82%
Graduation rate:70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#14 in Communications|#40 in Humanities & Social Sciences
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Economic score:1.87
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.7 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$61,122
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $18,960
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:7%
Graduation rate:95%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#15 in Communications|#49 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Economic score:1.91
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.3 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$54,875
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $10,204
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:29%
Graduation rate:86%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#16 in Communications|#44 in Humanities & Social Sciences
University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
Economic score:1.92
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2.3 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$51,518
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: + $9,145
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:60%
Graduation rate:87%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#17 in Communications|#37 in Humanities & Social Sciences
California State University, Stanislaus
Turlock, California
Economic score:1.93
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.8 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$42,404
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $2,785
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:95%
Graduation rate:73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#18 in Communications|#5 in Humanities & Social Sciences
CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, New York
Economic score:1.93
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.4 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$32,329
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $11,093
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:58%
Graduation rate:64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#19 in Communications
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
Economic score:2.04
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:1.9 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$36,495
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $3,320
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:33%
Graduation rate:71%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
#20 in Communications|#38 in Humanities & Social Sciences
California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, California
Economic score:2.10
The Economic Score is the combination of payback and earningsplus, and is how we determine a school’s rank. The lower the economic score the better. For an analysis of how we arrive at the economic score, and a description of our data sources, please visit our methodology page.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Payback:2 years
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Earnings:$43,834
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPlus: - $1,345
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Admission rate:59%
Graduation rate:80%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.
How long does it take me to repay a bachelor's degree in comms & media studies?
Years
5.4 years
The cost of the average bachelor's degree in comms & media studies is covered by the new earnings of graduates in 5.4 years.
How much do graduates with bachelor's degree in comms & media studies earn?
Salary
$42,058
The median bachelor's degree in comms & media studies graduate earns $42,058 3 years after graduating.
How much does a bachelor's degree in comms & media studies cost?
Net cost
$18,278
The average annual cost of a bachelor's degree in comms & media studies is $18,278. This is the net cost and considers only students that have received Title IV funds.