Federal data
Highest earning master's 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 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $93,452 | 35 |
| 2 | Northwestern University | Evanston | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $87,012 | 84 |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $82,754 | 97 |
| 4 | Purdue University-Main Campus | West Lafayette | Public, 4-year | $70,112 | 251 |
| 5 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $68,587 | 212 |
| 6 | American University | Washington | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $68,299 | 109 |
| 7 | Weber State University | Ogden | Public, 4-year | $67,928 | 31 |
| 8 | University of Denver | Denver | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $63,783 | 55 |
| 9 | Washington State University | Pullman | Public, 4-year | $61,853 | 55 |
| 10 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $59,112 | 43 |
| 11 | University of Florida | Gainesville | Public, 4-year | $58,996 | 139 |
| 12 | Wayne State University | Detroit | Public, 4-year | $56,521 | 34 |
| 13 | National University | San Diego | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $55,730 | 30 |
| 14 | Arizona State University | Tempe | Public, 4-year | $55,436 | 99 |
| 15 | Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $54,222 | 40 |
| 16 | Florida International University | Miami | Public, 4-year | $52,237 | 108 |
| 17 | Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $48,699 | 49 |
| 18 | Troy University | Troy | Public, 4-year | $48,564 | 56 |
| 19 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix | For-profit, 4-year | $48,139 | 95 |
| 20 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock | Public, 4-year | $47,431 | 51 |
| 21 | Walden University | Minneapolis | For-profit, 4-year | $47,157 | 50 |
| 22 | California State University-Fullerton | Fullerton | Public, 4-year | $46,382 | 49 |
| 23 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $45,215 | 42 |
| 24 | Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $42,839 | 47 |
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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