Communication and Media Studies

Contains Stem Majors

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Median In-State​
Public Tuition
$7,492
growing 2.02%
Median Out-of-State​
Private Tuition
$36,088
growing 4%
Average Wage
$85,910
growing 8.79%
People in Workforce
2.44M
growing 3.32%
Average Employee Age
40.5
growing 0.378%

About

In 2023, the locations with the highest concentration of Communication and Media Studies degree recipients are Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and San Diego, CA. The most common degree awarded to students studying Communication and Media Studies is a bachelors degree.

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Communication and Media Studies and the types of students that study this field. California State University-Fullerton awards the most degrees in Communication and Media Studies in the US, but John Paul the Great Catholic University and United International College have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies.

Tuition costs for Communication and Media Studies majors are, on average, $7,492 for in-state public colleges, and $36,088 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Communication and Media Studies programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (661 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 4-year or above (38,356 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Communication and Media Studies (2023)
  1. California State University-Fullerton
    682 degrees awarded
  2. Arizona State University Digital Immersion
    632 degrees awarded
  3. University of California-Santa Barbara
    629 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies, is Public, 4-year or above (38,356 completions in 2023).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Communication and Media Studies programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

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Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$7,492
Median In-State Public
$36,088
Median Out of State Private

California State University-Fullerton has the most Communication and Media Studies degree recipients, with 682 degrees awarded in 2023.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies.

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Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution
  1. John Paul the Great Catholic University
    64.2%
  2. United International College
    33.3%
  3. Alice Lloyd College
    16.5%

Out of all institutions that offer Communication and Media Studies programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, John Paul the Great Catholic University has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies, with 64.2%.

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Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Communication and Media Studies
  1. Los Angeles County, CA
    3,078 degrees awarded
  2. Maricopa County, AZ
    1,644 degrees awarded
  3. Orange County, CA
    1,425 degrees awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies by year.

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Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Communications graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Communications majors is $85,910 and the most common occupations are Other managers, Marketing managers, and Elementary & middle school teachers.

The industry that employs the most Communications majors is Elementary & secondary schools, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Nonferrous metal (except aluminum) production & processing.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
$85,910
Average Wage in Workforce
± $1,378
8.79%
1 Year Growth
± 2.1%

The average salary for Communications majors is $85,910 and the most common occupations are Other managers, Marketing managers, and Elementary & middle school teachers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Communications majors.

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Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
Highest Paying Pumas
  1. Phoenix City--Maryvale (East) PUMA, AZ
    $200,248
  2. Knox County (North, East & South) PUMA, TN
    $191,423
  3. Mohave County North--City of Kingman & Bullhead City PUMA, AZ
    $190,936

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Communications majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Communications majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

The most common occupations Communications majors, by number of employees, are Other managers, Marketing managers, and Elementary & middle school teachers.

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Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Communications majors working as News analysts, reporters, and journalists, Public relations specialists, and Public relations and fundraising managers.

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Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Communications majors are Surgeons, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Physicians.

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Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
2.44M
2022 Workforce
± 38,013
3.32%
1 Year Growth
± 2.15%

The number of Communications graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.32%, from 2.36M in 2021 to 2.44M in 2022.

The largest single share of Communications graduates go on to work as Other managers (4.97%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Communications by share of the total number of graduates.

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Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

The most common industries that employ Communications majors, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, and Computer Systems Design.

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Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

The highest paying industries of Communications majors, by average wage, are Nonferrous metal (except aluminum) production & processing, Footwear manufacturing, and Oil & gas extraction.

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Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
2.44M
2022 Workforce
± 38,013
3.32%
1 Year Growth
± 2.15%

The number of Communications graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.32%, from 2.36M in 2021 to 2.44M in 2022.

The industry which employs the most Communications graduates by share is Elementary & secondary schools, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Communications.

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Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
PUMAS with a relatively high number of Communications majors
  1. Los Angeles County (Central)--West Hollywood & Beverly Hills Cities PUMA, CA
    5.53
  2. Chicago City (North)--Lake View & Lincoln Park PUMA, IL
    4.75
  3. Los Angeles County (West Central)--LA City (Central/Hancock Park & Mid-Wilshire) PUMA, CA
    4.23

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Communications majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Communications majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Communications in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Communications is 40.5.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Communications degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Communications (29,848 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
40.5
Average Age in 2022
± 0.192 Years
0.378%
1 Year Change
± 0.672%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Communications. The most common ages of employees with this major are 30 and 31 years old, which represent 3.26% and 3.19% of the population, respectively.

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Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Communication and Media Studies are Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree, and Masters Degree.

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Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Communications are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

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Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Female (63.7%)
Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Communication and Media Studies.

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Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Most Common Race or Ethnicity
  1. White
    29,848 degrees awarded
  2. Hispanic or Latino
    10,437 degrees awarded
  3. Black or African American
    6,272 degrees awarded

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Communication and Media Studies for each race & ethnicity. White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

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Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
  1. N/A
    N/A degrees awarded
  2. N/A
    N/A degrees awarded
  3. N/A
    N/A degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of N/A recipients in Communication and Media Studies.

N/A students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

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Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Communication and Media Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Communications.
Most Common Countries of Origin
  1. Mexico
    17,878 degree recipients
  2. India
    14,712 degree recipients
  3. Philippines
    14,117 degree recipients
High Relative Number of Students
  1. Antigua & Barbuda
    6.27 times more than expected
  2. Australia
    4.38 times more than expected
  3. Switzerland
    4.37 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Antigua & Barbuda that hold Communications degrees (6.27 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Mexico (17,878 degree recipients).

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Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Communication and Media Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Communication and Media Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Writing. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Communication and Media Studies majors need more than the average amount of Writing, Persuasion, and Time Management.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Communication and Media Studies majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Writing is very distinctive for majors, but the Writing, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Radar Distribution

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Bar Chart

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