Median Starting Salaries (by Institution): Communication and Media Studies

Salary (by major) data was collected from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) College Scorecard platform and indicates the median salary of an institution’s graduates two years after receiving their bachelor’s degree in communication and/or media studies, along with the number of graduates per institution for which the USDOE has salary data. Since the USDOE focuses only on early-career salaries, we limit the salary tables on our Dataverse to “pre-professional” majors where students are more likely to pursue employment immediately after graduation (e.g., as opposed to attending graduate school) and within their undergraduate field of study.

*Note that the USDOE is not able to disclose salary data by major for all institutions offering a major in this area. For example, if a group of individuals within a certain institution is too small, the USDOE must suppress salary data in order to prevent identification of the group’s individuals.

Table Updated December 2023

Institution#GraduatesMedian Starting Salary
190415Cornell University72$55,813
215062University of Pennsylvania64$54,581UPenn
229018The University of Texas Permian Basin16$52,107
181002Creighton University13$50,856
167358Northeastern University142$49,868
217165Bryant University34$49,019
147767Northwestern University50$48,041
164988Boston University306$47,620BU
110635University of California-Berkeley122$47,473UC Berkeley; UCB
170976University of Michigan-Ann Arbor168$47,473UMich
163286University of Maryland-College Park250$46,947UMD
164924Boston College158$46,940BC
129242Fairfield University110$46,673
234076University of Virginia-Main Campus60$46,478UVA
131159American University135$45,980
174020Metropolitan State University50$45,500
217518Roger Williams University45$45,175
216597Villanova University104$45,109
193900New York University222$45,037NYU
122931Santa Clara University82$44,858SCU
191241Fordham University262$44,610
163204University of Maryland Global Campus106$44,595
183239Saint Anselm College51$44,542
123554Saint Mary's College of California61$44,356
233295Randolph-Macon College38$44,276
123961University of Southern California227$44,046USC
122597San Francisco State University206$43,937SFSU
164270McDaniel College28$43,240
228875Texas Christian University85$43,240
150400DePauw University51$43,054
192703Manhattan College91$42,961
202480University of Dayton138$42,235
228246Southern Methodist University29$42,044SMU
110574California State University-East Bay76$42,012
221999Vanderbilt University18$41,937
110705University of California-Santa Barbara317$41,889UCSB: UC Santa Barbara
104179University of Arizona161$41,844
163046Loyola University Maryland109$41,751
187134The College of New Jersey98$41,705TCNJ
233921Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University189$41,618Virginia Tech; Va Tech
129020University of Connecticut335$41,592UConn
191515Hamilton College12$41,565
165699Endicott College31$41,406
152390Saint Mary's College34$41,342
183044University of New Hampshire-Main Campus202$41,317UNH
122755San Jose State University105$41,286SJSU
174747College of Saint Benedict64$41,193
153658University of Iowa233$41,126UI
198516Elon University143$41,119
155317University of Kansas75$41,106KU
192819Marist College290$41,087
167996Stonehill College64$41,058
169248Central Michigan University78$41,007
146481Lake Forest College33$41,007LFC
163462Mount St. Mary's University33$40,896
110644University of California-Davis260$40,874UC Davis
238661Edgewood College18$40,647
130943University of Delaware87$40,621UDel
229115Texas Tech University59$40,488
216366Thomas Jefferson University16$40,461
204796Ohio State University-Main Campus574$40,447OSU
125727Westmont College19$40,402
145637University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign291$40,375UIUC
166629University of Massachusetts-Amherst198$40,269UMass Amherst
218070Furman University32$40,140
117946Loyola Marymount University136$40,140LMU
164076Towson University341$40,133
204024Miami University-Oxford67$40,089
228723Texas A & M University-College Station240$40,068
127060University of Denver73$39,969UD
131520Howard University28$39,927
216278Susquehanna University18$39,927
104151Arizona State University Campus Immersion681$39,779ASU
194310Pace University154$39,774
126614University of Colorado Boulder205$39,762CU Boulder
195216St Lawrence University36$39,729SLU
166638University of Massachusetts-Boston81$39,729UMass Boston
190567CUNY City College110$39,663
137847The University of Tampa30$39,592
130226Quinnipiac University84$39,585
232423James Madison University362$39,429JMU
121150Pepperdine University14$39,369
173647Gustavus Adolphus College55$39,369
127918Regis University31$39,369
232706Marymount University28$39,369
110680University of California-San Diego239$39,369UCSD; UC San Diego
230764University of Utah148$39,369UU
377564University of Washington-Tacoma Campus615$39,257UW
236948University of Washington-Seattle Campus615$39,257UW
377555University of Washington-Bothell Campus615$39,257UW
181394University of Nebraska at Omaha23$39,153
240338Wisconsin Lutheran College19$39,009
195243St. Thomas Aquinas College28$39,009
171100Michigan State University511$38,992MSU
215770Saint Joseph's University73$38,906
206589The College of Wooster19$38,829
122612University of San Francisco116$38,829USF
230737Utah Valley University174$38,829
236939Washington State University327$38,548WSU
179955William Jewell College12$38,337
122436University of San Diego96$38,289USD
212197Elizabethtown College58$38,289
236577Seattle Pacific University27$38,289
100858Auburn University89$38,289
143084Augustana College69$38,289
223232Baylor University56$38,289
146612Lewis University11$38,289
140447Mercer University18$38,289
166850Merrimack College18$38,289
153603Iowa State University105$38,134ISU
174783Saint Cloud State University230$37,940
178402University of Missouri-Kansas City101$37,883UMKC
173920Minnesota State University-Mankato186$37,873
240189University of Wisconsin-Whitewater109$37,856
166391Lasell University87$37,808
173160Bethel University62$37,808
165671Emmanuel College23$37,748
149781Wheaton College44$37,748
206525Wittenberg University13$37,748
199847Wake Forest University57$37,748WFU
183080Plymouth State University57$37,748
159391Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College224$37,735LSU
131469George Washington University18$37,568GWU
195809St. John's University-New York136$37,568
217536Salve Regina University24$37,568
147703Northern Illinois University277$37,541NIU
185572Monmouth University174$37,532
175272Winona State University157$37,443
150756Hanover College30$37,424
123572Sonoma State University73$37,424
157447Northern Kentucky University114$37,399
154095University of Northern Iowa88$37,363UNI
100751The University of Alabama74$37,363
145600University of Illinois Chicago82$37,363UIC
167783Simmons University37$37,208
145813Illinois State University130$37,208ISU
107512Ouachita Baptist University34$37,208
168005Suffolk University87$37,110
240329University of Wisconsin-La Crosse127$37,067
110565California State University-Fullerton791$37,057
110538California State University-Chico219$37,038
139959University of Georgia126$36,992UGA
186380Rutgers University-New Brunswick211$36,906RU
175005St Catherine University32$36,848
151351Indiana University-Bloomington93$36,848IU; IUB
153108Central College17$36,848
229267Trinity University16$36,848
153834Luther College45$36,848
186201Ramapo College of New Jersey148$36,776
131283The Catholic University of America35$36,745
240268University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire144$36,697
486840Kennesaw State University419$36,668
164562Assumption University34$36,668
196042Farmingdale State College45$36,668
231712Christopher Newport University128$36,668
203368John Carroll University89$36,521
238458Carroll University22$36,488
217819College of Charleston136$36,460
196200SUNY College at Potsdam37$36,437
130776Western Connecticut State University76$36,437
225511University of Houston44$36,401UH
136950Rollins College93$36,368
174899The College of Saint Scholastica15$36,312
134097Florida State University38$36,291FSU
217156Brown University15$36,141
202523Denison University47$36,134
217484University of Rhode Island206$36,124URI
215293University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus49$36,094
206604Wright State University-Main Campus79$36,040
110617California State University-Sacramento538$36,007
163851Salisbury University191$35,995
146719Loyola University Chicago28$35,988LUC
174233University of Minnesota-Duluth81$35,975
151111Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis95$35,950IUPUI
239716Saint Norbert College64$35,914
199193North Carolina State University at Raleigh87$35,914NC State; NCSU
200280University of North Dakota71$35,914UND
178396University of Missouri-Columbia105$35,891Mizzou
240444University of Wisconsin-Madison213$35,891UW Madison
215929University of Scranton36$35,864
202134Cleveland State University40$35,864
106397University of Arkansas116$35,772
110097Biola University63$35,772
139940Georgia State University46$35,748GSU
156286Bellarmine University31$35,729
183062Keene State College87$35,653
179159Saint Louis University54$35,653SLU
167729Salem State University111$35,653
181464University of Nebraska-Lincoln45$35,594UNL
193292Molloy College20$35,594
154527Wartburg College44$35,546
366711California State University-San Marcos165$35,535
240471University of Wisconsin-River Falls44$35,518
176965University of Central Missouri33$35,518
190664CUNY Queens College107$35,518
201654Cedarville University25$35,420
240365University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh21$35,416
170301Hope College53$35,416
193584Nazareth College13$35,416
133951Florida International University553$35,372FIU
240453University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee339$35,365
207500University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus52$35,327
191931Iona University123$35,327
221759The University of Tennessee-Knoxville124$35,307UTK
171571Oakland University212$35,274
237011Western Washington University128$35,142
110529California State Polytechnic University-Pomona126$35,142
199139University of North Carolina at Charlotte374$35,126UNCC; UNC Charlotte
229027The University of Texas at San Antonio279$35,100
243780Purdue University-Main Campus68$35,060
236595Seattle University24$35,060
201885University of Cincinnati-Main Campus157$35,060Cincy
110608California State University-Northridge321$35,060
196149SUNY Cortland132$35,060
160755Tulane University of Louisiana55$35,060
110495California State University-Stanislaus65$35,060
204857Ohio University-Main Campus245$35,014OU
198464East Carolina University243$34,876ECU
190549CUNY Brooklyn College41$34,847
196088University at Buffalo134$34,793
209056Lewis & Clark College34$34,704
144962Elmhurst University25$34,704
112075Concordia University-Irvine33$34,704
209807Portland State University154$34,633
232566Longwood University67$34,633
110583California State University-Long Beach441$34,559
165024Bridgewater State University187$34,554
109785Azusa Pacific University106$34,526
201195Baldwin Wallace University25$34,526
228149St. Mary's University22$34,526
199218University of North Carolina Wilmington200$34,526UNCW; UNC Wilmington
233277Radford University93$34,467
212115East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania66$34,467ESU
236230Pacific Lutheran University48$34,420
168430Worcester State University59$34,420
193654The New School50$34,420
178624Northwest Missouri State University79$34,348
157085University of Kentucky174$34,348UK
199120University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill266$34,326UNC Chapel Hill
214175Muhlenberg College46$34,298
230603Southern Utah University31$34,298
184782Rowan University68$34,277
203517Kent State University at Kent290$34,268
163268University of Maryland-Baltimore County81$34,259UMBC
144740DePaul University177$34,244
240426University of Wisconsin-Superior50$34,230
144892Eastern Illinois University142$34,206
126818Colorado State University-Fort Collins194$34,206CSU
441937California State University-Channel Islands115$34,170
189705Canisius College60$34,157
142115Boise State University237$34,126
236328University of Puget Sound16$33,993
205957Franciscan University of Steubenville25$33,993
239105Marquette University25$33,993
195720St. John Fisher University59$33,993
214041Millersville University of Pennsylvania171$33,993
206941University of Central Oklahoma13$33,993
148654University of Illinois Springfield40$33,993
157289University of Louisville226$33,993UL
173124Bemidji State University11$33,993
216524Ursinus College30$33,993
190594CUNY Hunter College133$33,993
149505Trinity Christian College17$33,993
433660Florida Gulf Coast University194$33,993
211158Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania100$33,993
130253Sacred Heart University22$33,993
100706University of Alabama in Huntsville14$33,993
190044Clarkson University17$33,993
162760Hood College26$33,993
213996Messiah University17$33,993
230834Castleton University11$33,993
197133Vassar College15$33,959
231059Saint Michael's College48$33,755
128771Central Connecticut State University114$33,664
234827Central Washington University36$33,637
227845Saint Edward's University69$33,637
173045Augsburg University34$33,565
150136Ball State University63$33,565BSU
178615Truman State University60$33,535
149772Western Illinois University106$33,535
122409San Diego State University134$33,535SDSU
110422California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo45$33,459
136172University of North Florida261$33,459
173300Concordia College at Moorhead54$33,459
219471University of South Dakota77$33,423USD
179557Southeast Missouri State University112$33,395
195234The College of Saint Rose59$33,382
234030Virginia Commonwealth University344$33,300VCU
171456Northern Michigan University18$33,281
182281University of Nevada-Las Vegas172$33,281UNLV
226833Midwestern State University24$33,281
196413Syracuse University57$33,281
226091Lamar University55$33,281
213668Lycoming College26$33,281
185262Kean University169$33,281
105330Northern Arizona University49$33,138NAU
133669Florida Atlantic University148$33,103FAU
123651Vanguard University of Southern California33$33,043
235097Eastern Washington University92$33,007
228343Southwestern University18$32,925
137351University of South Florida358$32,925USF
142276Idaho State University39$32,925ISU
127741University of Northern Colorado94$32,925
186584Seton Hall University16$32,925
121309Point Loma Nazarene University19$32,925
165820Fitchburg State University154$32,925
130493Southern Connecticut State University88$32,806
147776Northeastern Illinois University102$32,806
196167SUNY College at Geneseo57$32,711
216807Westminster College19$32,711
172699Western Michigan University63$32,678
187444William Paterson University of New Jersey311$32,644
117140University of La Verne53$32,569
215798Saint Vincent College38$32,569
191630Hobart William Smith Colleges23$32,569HWS
198950Meredith College25$32,569
238476Carthage College38$32,563
210429Western Oregon University41$32,467
151306University of Southern Indiana29$32,391
165334Clark University31$32,391
178341Missouri Southern State University33$32,391
169080Calvin University24$32,382
212106Duquesne University12$32,382
133492Eckerd College20$32,382
227881Sam Houston State University184$32,332
169798Eastern Michigan University127$32,315
237792Shepherd University31$32,284
110486California State University-Bakersfield60$32,282
168263Westfield State University110$32,257
240277University of Wisconsin-Green Bay92$32,257
160658University of Louisiana at Lafayette53$32,124
157386Morehead State University35$32,124
228459Texas State University53$32,058
172051Saginaw Valley State University75$31,889
161554University of Southern Maine54$31,854
228705Texas A & M University-Kingsville29$31,851
120883University of the Pacific29$31,851
207582Oral Roberts University19$31,848
159717McNeese State University34$31,818
221740The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga99$31,702UTC
152600Valparaiso University37$31,670
111948Chapman University89$31,647
156125Wichita State University88$31,547
110556California State University-Fresno190$31,346
126580University of Colorado Colorado Springs166$31,314
147828Olivet Nazarene University37$31,314
240480University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point83$31,314
155399Kansas State University18$31,305KSU
151342Indiana University-South Bend80$31,265IU
218724Coastal Carolina University168$31,205
171146University of Michigan-Flint51$31,205UMIch Flint
211644Clarion University of Pennsylvania98$31,205
178420University of Missouri-St Louis163$31,205
228431Stephen F Austin State University67$31,133
182290University of Nevada-Reno42$31,133UNR
110413California Lutheran University71$31,133
212160Edinboro University of Pennsylvania51$31,133
185590Montclair State University75$31,133
210146Southern Oregon University27$31,042
216038Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania113$31,021
171137University of Michigan-Dearborn102$30,988UMich Dearborn
214777Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus172$30,822PSU; Penn State
209542Oregon State University59$30,771OSU
129525University of Hartford81$30,771
196237SUNY College at Old Westbury71$30,771
168546Albion College31$30,771
170675Lawrence Technological University13$30,771
156620Eastern Kentucky University19$30,771EKU
165529Curry College90$30,672
217420Rhode Island College100$30,650
221838Tennessee State University61$30,650
211361California University of Pennsylvania50$30,650
151263University of Indianapolis36$30,616
190558College of Staten Island CUNY68$30,616
149231Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville106$30,554
196176State University of New York at New Paltz116$30,409
155025Emporia State University36$30,409
110510California State University-San Bernardino159$30,336
213613Lock Haven University53$30,305
192323Le Moyne College57$30,305
170082Grand Valley State University109$30,288
213987Mercyhurst University24$30,228
204936Otterbein University22$30,228
212656Geneva College20$30,228
165936Gordon College33$30,228
482680University of North Georgia26$30,228UNG
216339Temple University82$30,167
203128Hiram College17$30,119
141574University of Hawaii at Manoa155$30,092
213783Mansfield University of Pennsylvania52$30,080
213020Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus59$30,047IUP
206084University of Toledo102$29,956
210669Allegheny College45$29,956
240727University of Wyoming44$29,926
196130SUNY Buffalo State University88$29,866
129215Eastern Connecticut State University122$29,866
228529Tarleton State University67$29,685
173665Hamline University33$29,685
179566Missouri State University-Springfield96$29,685
141644Hawaii Pacific University18$29,685
188641Alfred University16$29,685
185129New Jersey City University32$29,685
231581Bridgewater College30$29,685
174358Minnesota State University Moorhead57$29,685
219709Belmont University26$29,685
128391Western Colorado University21$29,685
209825University of Portland19$29,685
100663University of Alabama at Birmingham81$29,517
196121SUNY Brockport59$29,322
200004Western Carolina University49$29,250WCU
156082Washburn University44$29,250
156213Asbury University17$29,141
130934Delaware State University80$29,092
219602Austin Peay State University113$28,960
157951Western Kentucky University44$28,960WKU
216931Wilkes University31$28,960
219356South Dakota State University15$28,960SDSU
196185SUNY Oneonta102$28,960
106704University of Central Arkansas14$28,960
193973Niagara University16$28,960
176080Mississippi State University131$28,884MSU
102094University of South Alabama96$28,849
199148University of North Carolina at Greensboro179$28,834UNCG; UNC Greensboro
197869Appalachian State University50$28,598App State; ASU
107141John Brown University11$28,598
155681Pittsburg State University61$28,598
159993University of Louisiana at Monroe23$28,598
228802The University of Texas at Tyler21$28,598UT
209065Linfield University24$28,598
207263Northeastern State University11$28,598
141264Valdosta State University158$28,547
220978Middle Tennessee State University290$28,515
222831Angelo State University28$28,469
132903University of Central Florida119$28,462UCF
175856Jackson State University32$28,381
197045Utica University15$28,236
162584Frostburg State University39$28,236
196219SUNY at Purchase College35$28,236
127556Colorado Mesa University49$28,236
159966Nicholls State University24$28,212
165662Emerson College29$28,212
196246SUNY College at Plattsburgh75$28,105
482149Augusta University59$28,105
151324Indiana State University91$28,055ISU
220075East Tennessee State University74$28,055
232025Emory & Henry College17$28,055
216667Washington & Jefferson College13$28,055
180489The University of Montana77$27,947
101480Jacksonville State University52$27,822
188429Adelphi University47$27,669
218964Winthrop University41$27,590
156295Berea College26$27,590
156745Georgetown College28$27,584
213321King's College29$27,584
227368The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley127$27,512
233426Roanoke College13$27,476
214069Misericordia University12$27,439
138354The University of West Florida105$27,346
160612Southeastern Louisiana University63$27,222
102614University of Alaska Fairbanks12$27,204
212133Eastern University24$27,126
141565University of Hawaii at Hilo49$27,126
172644Wayne State University33$26,933
233897University of Virginia's College at Wise11$26,896
237899West Virginia State University38$26,739
213251Juniata College22$26,739
213367La Salle University52$26,625
224147Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi71$26,353
139311Clayton State University33$26,353
186876Stockton University110$26,353
207971University of Tulsa11$26,353
211352Cabrini University46$26,353
240374University of Wisconsin-Parkside19$26,353
160621Southern University and A & M College28$26,121
215947Seton Hill University15$25,967
221768The University of Tennessee-Martin30$25,774
176035Mississippi University for Women14$25,709
190637CUNY Lehman College42$25,658
234155Virginia State University67$25,615
106245University of Arkansas at Little Rock25$25,484
199281University of North Carolina at Pembroke63$25,426
198543Fayetteville State University42$25,194
230852Champlain College34$25,194
220862University of Memphis74$25,194
187648Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus25$25,194
218061Francis Marion University13$25,194
161253University of Maine28$25,194
137546Stetson University16$25,194
237525Marshall University12$25,194
227526Prairie View A & M University47$24,863
199102North Carolina A & T State University102$24,730
139931Georgia Southern University14$24,615
110547California State University-Dominguez Hills26$24,615
199999Winston-Salem State University42$24,421
138716Albany State University33$24,421
106458Arkansas State University21$24,035
217925Columbia International University14$24,035
150066Anderson University18$23,649
211088Arcadia University27$23,579
129941University of New Haven12$23,351
222983Austin College12$23,351
198507Elizabeth City State University17$23,351
218733South Carolina State University34$23,340
101879University of North Alabama56$23,262
100724Alabama State University55$23,207
147679North Park University25$23,182
196033SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill15$22,824
199111University of North Carolina at Asheville49$22,572UNCA; UNC Asheville
106467Arkansas Tech University27$22,572
229814West Texas A & M University17$21,508
173902Macalester College11$21,508
199157North Carolina Central University86$21,312NCCU
102368Troy University25$21,052
159009Grambling State University40$20,482
132602Bethune-Cookman University31$20,140
191968Ithaca College11$20,140
160038Northwestern State University of Louisiana23$20,140
237932West Liberty University20$18,576
140553Morehouse College14$14,442

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