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Communication & Media Studies

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 09.0100 - 09.0199.

Types of Degrees Communication & Media Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Communication & Media Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	94
Associate’s Degree	5,252
Bachelor’s Degree	43,557
Master’s Degree	5,769
Doctor’s Degree	538

What Communication & Media Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Communication & Media Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Communication & Media Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Communication & Media Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Communication & Media Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Communication & Media Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Communication & Media Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Communication & Media Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Communication & Media Studies graduates include:

• Speech Instructor
• College Professor
• Speech Teacher
• Interpersonal Communications Professor
• Mass Communications Professor
• Public Speaking Teacher
• Rhetoric Professor
• Communication Professor
• Professor
• Communications Faculty Member
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Communications Instructor
• Media Arts Professor
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Communication & Media Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	40.3%
Bachelor’s degree	29.0%
Doctoral degree	9.1%
Some college courses	8.7%
Post-doctoral training	5.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
First professional degree	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Communication & Media Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.2% of Communication & Media Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	35,456	313.8%
Men	19,754	174.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Communication & Media Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,947	52.6%
Asian	585	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	2,107	18.6%
Black or African American	1,205	10.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.1%
Two or More Races	557	4.9%
Race Unknown	291	2.6%
International Students	559	4.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Communication & Media Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Communication & Media Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,014
4 years	$49,526
5 years	$57,312

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,312 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Communication & Media Studies Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Communication & Media Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	47	39
Bachelor’s	107	119
Master’s	54	42
Doctoral (Research)	2	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Communication & Media Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Communication & Media Studies graduates earn a median of $49,526 four years after completion — roughly 30% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Communication Journalism Media	105,413
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	19,636
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	17,813
Journalism	11,334
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	1,080
Publishing	340
COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.