Federal data
Highest earning communication and media studies programs in the United States
U.S. communication and media studies programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Public, 4-year | $62,183 | 41 |
| 2 | Cornell University | Ithaca | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $62,182 | 74 |
| 3 | Ashford University | San Diego | For-profit, 4-year | $58,089 | 47 |
| 4 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | New York | Public, 4-year | $57,782 | 36 |
| 5 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $55,162 | 139 |
| 6 | University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi | Public, 4-year | $53,513 | 123 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $53,022 | 41 |
| 8 | Villanova University | Villanova | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $52,294 | 148 |
| 9 | Northwestern University | Evanston | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $52,210 | 57 |
| 10 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $51,720 | 62 |
| 11 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,750 | 59 |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Public, 4-year | $50,556 | 237 |
| 13 | Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,074 | 51 |
| 14 | Colorado State University Global | Denver | Public, 4-year | $49,436 | 58 |
| 15 | Elon University | Elon | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $48,637 | 137 |
| 16 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | Phoenix | For-profit, 4-year | $47,919 | 291 |
| 17 | University of Phoenix-California | Ontario | For-profit, 4-year | $47,919 | 291 |
| 18 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $47,651 | 169 |
| 19 | DeVry University | Ontario | For-profit, 4-year | $47,622 | 33 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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