Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Communication and Media Studies

Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a median of $33,523 within two years of graduation, ranking #177 out of 292 tracked majors — 6% below the median across all fields. There are 678 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 60,284 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Cornell University graduates earn $55,813 while Universidad del Sagrado Corazon graduates earn $8,056 — a $47,757 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Communication and Media Studies graduates see an average 4% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

678
Schools
$33,523
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#177
of 292 Majors
60,284
Graduates

Public vs Private: Communication and Media Studies

Public (329 schools)
$33,113
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (312 schools)
$33,556
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $443 more in early earnings on average for Communication and Media Studies graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Communication and Media Studies by State

New York
55 schools
$33,776
California
48 schools
$37,142
Pennsylvania
41 schools
$32,292
Texas
38 schools
$33,261
Illinois
31 schools
$34,886
North Carolina
28 schools
$28,429
Massachusetts
26 schools
$37,423
Ohio
25 schools
$34,878

Top Communication and Media Studies Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
C

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$55,813
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,071
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 8.2%
#2
U

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$54,581
2yr Earnings
1yr: $50,120
Grads: 40
Acceptance: 5.9%
#3
T

The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX · Public

$52,107
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,389
Grads: 44
Acceptance: 84.5%
#4
C

Colorado State University Global

Denver, CO · Public

$51,273
2yr Earnings
1yr: $46,011
Grads: 109
Acceptance: 92.9%
#5
C

Creighton University

Omaha, NE · Private

$50,856
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 72.3%
#6
N

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA · Private

$49,868
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,567
Grads: 118
Acceptance: 16.5%
#7
N

Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

$49,868
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,567
Grads: 118
Acceptance: 5.7%
#8
N

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA ·

$49,868
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,567
Grads: 118
Acceptance: N/A
#9
B

Bryant University

Smithfield, RI · Private

$49,019
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,312
Grads: 47
Acceptance: 65.6%
#10
N

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private

$48,041
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,590
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 7.1%
#11
B

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$47,620
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,873
Grads: 310
Acceptance: 10.8%
#12
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$47,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,287
Grads: 199
Acceptance: 11.7%
#13
U

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI · Public

$47,473
2yr Earnings
1yr: $45,761
Grads: 232
Acceptance: 17.9%
#14
C

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

New York, NY · Public

$47,260
2yr Earnings
1yr: $51,317
Grads: 35
Acceptance: 38.6%
#15
U

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · Public

$46,947
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,724
Grads: 266
Acceptance: 44.8%
#16
B

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

$46,940
2yr Earnings
1yr: $49,055
Grads: 164
Acceptance: 15.7%
#17
F

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT · Private

$46,673
2yr Earnings
1yr: $45,767
Grads: 79
Acceptance: 45.0%
#18
U

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

$46,478
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,057
Grads: 94
Acceptance: 16.9%
#19
A

American University

Washington, DC · Private

$45,980
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,806
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 47.4%
#20
M

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN · Public

$45,500
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,150
Grads: 76
Acceptance: 96.5%
#21
R

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI · Private

$45,175
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,478
Grads: 57
Acceptance: 87.8%
#22
V

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

$45,109
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,160
Grads: 143
Acceptance: 25.1%
#23
N

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$45,037
2yr Earnings
1yr: $50,327
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 9.4%
#24
S

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$44,858
2yr Earnings
1yr: $53,040
Grads: 89
Acceptance: 43.8%
#25
F

Fordham University

Bronx, NY · Private

$44,610
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,213
Grads: 265
Acceptance: 56.3%
#26
U

University of Maryland Global Campus

Adelphi, MD ·

$44,595
2yr Earnings
1yr: $47,841
Grads: 127
Acceptance: N/A
#27
S

Saint Anselm College

Manchester, NH · Private

$44,542
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,537
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 78.3%
#28
S

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA · Private

$44,356
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,184
Grads: 51
Acceptance: 88.6%
#29
R

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA · Private

$44,276
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,457
Grads: 54
Acceptance: 83.4%
#30
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$44,046
2yr Earnings
1yr: $46,379
Grads: 194
Acceptance: 10.0%
#31
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$43,937
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,620
Grads: 321
Acceptance: 96.2%
#32
M

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD · Private

$43,240
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,295
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 83.6%
#33
T

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX · Private

$43,240
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,482
Grads: 105
Acceptance: 42.6%
#34
D

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN · Private

$43,054
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,479
Grads: 75
Acceptance: 54.1%
#35
M

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private

$42,961
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,318
Grads: 77
Acceptance: 78.5%
#36
L

Lakeland University

Plymouth, WI · Private

$42,682
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 91.1%
#37
U

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH · Private

$42,235
2yr Earnings
1yr: $39,856
Grads: 139
Acceptance: 61.7%
#38
D

DeVry University-California

Ontario, CA · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 43.3%
#39
D

DeVry University-Colorado

Westminster, CO · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: N/A
#40
D

DeVry University-Florida

Orlando, FL · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 100.0%
#41
D

DeVry University-Georgia

Decatur, GA · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 81.3%
#42
D

DeVry University-Illinois

Lisle, IL · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 43.3%
#43
D

DeVry University-Missouri

Kansas City, MO · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: N/A
#44
D

DeVry University-Nevada

Henderson, NV · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: N/A
#45
D

DeVry University-Tennessee

Nashville, TN · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: N/A
#46
D

DeVry University-Texas

Irving, TX · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: N/A
#47
D

DeVry University-Virginia

Arlington, VA · For-Profit

$42,123
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 100.0%
#48
S

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$42,044
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,996
Grads: 30
Acceptance: 61.2%
#49
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$42,012
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,332
Grads: 167
Acceptance: 96.8%
#50
V

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN · Private

$41,937
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 6.3%

Showing top 50 of 678 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Education, General $33,927 Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General $33,866 Psychology, Other $33,808 Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics $33,743 Microbiological Sciences and Immunology $33,562 Education, Other $33,417

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Communication and Media Studies?
Cornell University ranks #1 for Communication and Media Studies with median graduate earnings of $55,813 within two years. There are 678 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Communication and Media Studies graduates earn?
Communication and Media Studies graduates earn an average of $33,523 within two years of graduation. This is near the median across all majors. Earnings range from $8,056 to $55,813 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Communication and Media Studies program?
The average acceptance rate across Communication and Media Studies programs is 75.0%. The most selective program is at Brown University with a 5.2% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Communication and Media Studies?
Private Communication and Media Studies programs average $33,556 in early earnings vs $33,113 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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