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Communication and Media Studies.
Doctoral Degree•73 Institutions
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.
Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings
Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.
Field Median ($75,616)
P25-P75 Interval ($63,328 - $81,331)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tuscaloosa | AL | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,420 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tucson | AZ | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,674 /yr | - | -$0 |
Davis | CA | - Nat: $77,931 | $14,741 /yr | - | -$0 |
La Jolla | CA | - Nat: $77,931 | $12,470 /yr | - | -$0 |
Santa Barbara | CA | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,109 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boulder | CO | - Nat: $77,931 | $25,346 /yr | - | -$0 |
Fort Collins | CO | - Nat: $77,931 | $21,279 /yr | - | -$0 |
Denver | CO | - Nat: $77,931 | $36,131 /yr | - | -$0 |
Storrs | CT | - Nat: $77,931 | $25,097 /yr | - | -$0 |
Washington | DC | - Nat: $77,931 | $41,943 /yr | - | -$0 |
Washington | DC | - Nat: $77,931 | $50,539 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tallahassee | FL | - Nat: $77,931 | $11,297 /yr | - | -$0 |
Gainesville | FL | - Nat: $77,931 | $6,541 /yr | - | -$0 |
Coral Gables | FL | - Nat: $77,931 | $37,244 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tampa | FL | - Nat: $77,931 | $9,812 /yr | - | -$0 |
Athens | GA | - Nat: $77,931 | $13,936 /yr | - | -$0 |
Chicago | IL | - Nat: $77,931 | $10,974 /yr | - | -$0 |
Champaign | IL | - Nat: $77,931 | $14,355 /yr | - | -$0 |
Evanston | IL | - Nat: $77,931 | $29,167 /yr | - | -$0 |
Carbondale | IL | - Nat: $77,931 | $13,297 /yr | - | -$0 |
Iowa City | IA | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,531 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lawrence | KS | - Nat: $77,931 | $18,059 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lexington | KY | - Nat: $77,931 | $18,851 /yr | - | -$0 |
Baton Rouge | LA | - Nat: $77,931 | $19,151 /yr | - | -$0 |
College Park | MD | - Nat: $77,931 | $15,678 /yr | - | -$0 |
Amherst | MA | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,383 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ann Arbor | MI | - Nat: $77,931 | $13,138 /yr | - | -$0 |
East Lansing | MI | - Nat: $77,931 | $19,680 /yr | - | -$0 |
Detroit | MI | - Nat: $77,931 | $12,766 /yr | - | -$0 |
Hattiesburg | MS | - Nat: $77,931 | $21,708 /yr | - | -$0 |
Columbia | MO | - Nat: $77,931 | $20,268 /yr | - | -$0 |
New York | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $21,590 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ithaca | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $28,690 /yr | - | -$0 |
Troy | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $36,228 /yr | - | -$0 |
Albany | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $17,167 /yr | - | -$0 |
Buffalo | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $20,995 /yr | - | -$0 |
Syracuse | NY | - Nat: $77,931 | $38,793 /yr | - | -$0 |
Chapel Hill | NC | - Nat: $77,931 | $11,655 /yr | - | -$0 |
Fargo | ND | - Nat: $77,931 | $15,543 /yr | - | -$0 |
Bowling Green | OH | - Nat: $77,931 | $24,022 /yr | - | -$0 |
Kent | OH | - Nat: $77,931 | $20,787 /yr | - | -$0 |
Columbus | OH | - Nat: $77,931 | $17,339 /yr | - | -$0 |
Athens | OH | - Nat: $77,931 | $21,637 /yr | - | -$0 |
Norman | OK | - Nat: $77,931 | $15,300 /yr | - | -$0 |
Eugene | OR | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,182 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $77,931 | $38,509 /yr | - | -$0 |
Indiana | PA | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,804 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $77,931 | $28,699 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $77,931 | $28,198 /yr | - | -$0 |
Clemson | SC | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,253 /yr | - | -$0 |
Columbia | SC | - Nat: $77,931 | $22,811 /yr | - | -$0 |
Memphis | TN | - Nat: $77,931 | $12,397 /yr | - | -$0 |
Knoxville | TN | - Nat: $77,931 | $18,976 /yr | - | -$0 |
College Station | TX | - Nat: $77,931 | $21,315 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lubbock | TX | - Nat: $77,931 | $19,070 /yr | - | -$0 |
Salt Lake City | UT | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,200 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pullman | WA | - Nat: $77,931 | $14,971 /yr | - | -$0 |
Seattle | WA | - Nat: $77,931 | $14,091 /yr | - | -$0 |
Milwaukee | WI | - Nat: $77,931 | $15,014 /yr | - | -$0 |
Stanford | CA | - Nat: $77,931 | $13,807 /yr | - | -$0 |
West Lafayette | IN | - Nat: $77,931 | $14,600 /yr | - | -$0 |
Waterbury | CT | - Nat: $77,931 | $10,875 /yr | - | -$0 |
Groton | CT | - Nat: $77,931 | $13,807 /yr | - | -$0 |
Stamford | CT | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,798 /yr | - | -$0 |
Hartford | CT | - Nat: $77,931 | $16,403 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tempe | AZ | $82,068 Nat: $77,931 4yr Post-Grad | $14,967 /yr | - | -$93k |
Regent University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Virginia Beach | VA | $81,331 Nat: $77,931 4yr Post-Grad | $19,923 /yr | $115,215 | -$116k |
Bloomington | IN | $76,868 Nat: $77,931 4yr Post-Grad | $16,264 /yr | - | -$136k |
Madison | WI | $69,654 Nat: $77,931 4yr Post-Grad | $17,354 /yr | - | -$194k |
University Park | PA | $75,616 Nat: $77,931 4yr Post-Grad | $32,875 /yr | - | -$205k |
Los Angeles | CA | $63,328 Nat: $77,931 2yr Post-Grad | $32,740 /yr | - | -$278k |
Lincoln | NE | $53,358 Nat: $77,931 2yr Post-Grad | $17,747 /yr | - | -$305k |
Atlanta | GA | $52,289 Nat: $77,931 2yr Post-Grad | $15,931 /yr | - | -$307k |
Analysis Notes:
- Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
- Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.