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Communication and Media Studies.
Undergrad Certificate•47 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 ($47,296)
P25-P75 Interval ($45,937 - $53,531)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh | PA | $68,990 Nat: $43,761 4yr Post-Grad | $30,434 /yr | $24,188 | +$258k |
Cabrillo College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Aptos | CA | $53,531 Nat: $43,761 4yr Post-Grad | $15,843 /yr | - | +$115k |
Reedley College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Reedley | CA | $47,296 Nat: $43,761 4yr Post-Grad | $6,814 /yr | - | +$57k |
Black Hills State University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Spearfish | SD | $45,937 Nat: $43,761 4yr Post-Grad | $15,911 /yr | - | +$34k |
Tempe | AZ | - Nat: $43,761 | $14,967 /yr | - | -$0 |
Central Arizona College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Coolidge | AZ | - Nat: $43,761 | $4,714 /yr | - | -$0 |
Flagstaff | AZ | - Nat: $43,761 | $14,158 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cerritos College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Norwalk | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $2,424 /yr | - | -$0 |
Diablo Valley College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Pleasant Hill | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $8,312 /yr | - | -$0 |
Evergreen Valley College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Jose | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $12,414 /yr | - | -$0 |
Fresno City College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Fresno | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $8,069 /yr | - | -$0 |
Gavilan College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Gilroy | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $6,542 /yr | - | -$0 |
Modesto Junior College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Modesto | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $2,818 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ohlone College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Fremont | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $11,130 /yr | - | -$0 |
Santa Ana College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Santa Ana | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $3,133 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Diego Mesa College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Diego | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $5,814 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Diego Miramar College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Diego | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $3,337 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Jose City College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Jose | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $16,959 /yr | - | -$0 |
College of the Sequoias ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Visalia | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $480 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boulder | CO | - Nat: $43,761 | $25,346 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tallahassee | FL | - Nat: $43,761 | $11,297 /yr | - | -$0 |
Pensacola | FL | - Nat: $43,761 | $9,364 /yr | - | -$0 |
Columbus State University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Columbus | GA | - Nat: $43,761 | $13,115 /yr | - | -$0 |
North Idaho College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Coeur d'Alene | ID | - Nat: $43,761 | $10,575 /yr | - | -$0 |
Allen County Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Iola | KS | - Nat: $43,761 | $8,642 /yr | - | -$0 |
Bunker Hill Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Boston | MA | - Nat: $43,761 | $7,818 /yr | - | -$0 |
Dearborn | MI | - Nat: $43,761 | $9,492 /yr | - | -$0 |
North Central Michigan College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Petoskey | MI | - Nat: $43,761 | $10,083 /yr | - | -$0 |
Rochester Community and Technical College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Rochester | MN | - Nat: $43,761 | $14,435 /yr | - | -$0 |
Saint Cloud | MN | - Nat: $43,761 | $13,529 /yr | - | -$0 |
Century College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. White Bear Lake | MN | - Nat: $43,761 | $10,906 /yr | - | -$0 |
East Mississippi Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Scooba | MS | - Nat: $43,761 | $4,608 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Missouri-St Louis ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Saint Louis | MO | - Nat: $43,761 | $15,071 /yr | - | -$0 |
Metropolitan Community College Area ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Omaha | NE | - Nat: $43,761 | $4,982 /yr | - | -$0 |
NHTI-Concord's Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Concord | NH | - Nat: $43,761 | $18,011 /yr | - | -$0 |
Central New Mexico Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Albuquerque | NM | - Nat: $43,761 | $4,621 /yr | - | -$0 |
Buffalo | NY | - Nat: $43,761 | $20,995 /yr | - | -$0 |
Davidson | NC | - Nat: $43,761 | $17,379 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cincinnati | OH | - Nat: $43,761 | $25,648 /yr | - | -$0 |
Sinclair Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Dayton | OH | - Nat: $43,761 | $5,992 /yr | - | -$0 |
Community College of Rhode Island ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Warwick | RI | - Nat: $43,761 | $6,513 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cheney | WA | - Nat: $43,761 | $13,886 /yr | - | -$0 |
College Place | WA | - Nat: $43,761 | $23,329 /yr | - | -$0 |
Collin County Community College District ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. McKinney | TX | - Nat: $43,761 | $8,969 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Phoenix-Arizona ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Phoenix | AZ | - Nat: $43,761 | $13,520 /yr | - | -$0 |
Clovis Community College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Fresno | CA | - Nat: $43,761 | $4,590 /yr | - | -$0 |
Full Sail University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Winter Park | FL | $37,679 Nat: $43,761 4yr Post-Grad | $38,875 /yr | $14,028 | -$77k |
Analysis Notes:
- Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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).
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.