Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,276 colleges and universities across the nation that offer abachelor’s degree in Communication & Media Studies. In recent years, the majority of students earning degrees in this area were women, and about40% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 4.0% of Communication & Media Studies graduates were international students.
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Education Levels of Communication & Media Studies Majors
In the most recent reporting year, 55,210 students earned theirCommunication & Media Studies majors across all award levels. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in Communication & Media Studies at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Certificate | 94 |
| Associate’s Degree | 5,252 |
| Bachelor’s Degree (this page) | 43,557 |
| Master’s Degree | 5,769 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 538 |
Earnings of Communication & Media Studies Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees (All Award Levels)
The U.S. Department of Education reports a median salary for graduates with abachelor’s degree in Communication & Media Studies of $49,526 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.
This number may vary for many reasons. For instance, you may move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money.
| Years After Graduation | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $38,014 |
| 4 years | $49,526 |
| 5 years | $57,312 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker (program-wide, all award levels).
Student Debt (All Award Levels)
The data on debt ranges for Communication & Media Studies majors who have their bachelor’s degree is not currently available.
Student Diversity
This degree is more popular with female students. About 63.6% of graduates with this degree are women.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 15,857 |
| Women | 27,700 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of Communication & Media Studies graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Number of Grads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 24,435 | 56.1% |
| Asian | 2,119 | 4.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7,286 | 16.7% |
| Black or African American | 4,757 | 10.9% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 128 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 76 | 0.2% |
| Two or More Races | 2,098 | 4.8% |
| Race Unknown | 921 | 2.1% |
| International Students | 1,737 | 4.0% |
This degree is not very popular with international students. Only 4.0% of graduates fall into this category.
See the minority definition in the References below.
Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,403 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in Communication & Media Studies. Learn more about the most popular below:
The most popular school in the United States for Communication & Media Studies students seeking a bachelor's degree is University of California-Santa Barbara. During the most recent year for which we have data, 649 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Texas A&M University-College Station is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 648 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
California State University-Fullerton is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 628 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Arizona State University Digital Immersion is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 598 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. During the most recent year for which we have data, 561 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Southern California comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. This school awarded 514 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. During the most recent year for which we have data, 467 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
James Madison University is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 455 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Grand Canyon University is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 412 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Florida comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. This school awarded 380 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
California State University-Sacramento is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 376 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 370 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 368 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Central Florida comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. This school awarded 368 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
California State University-Long Beach is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 356 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Indiana University-Bloomington is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 355 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
San Diego State University is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 337 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Florida International University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. This school awarded 334 bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a popular choice for Communication & Media Studies majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 331 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Texas Tech University comes in at #20 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Communication & Media Studies. During the most recent year for which we have data, 313 people received their bachelor's degree in Communication & Media Studies from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Communication & Media Studies Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 32,944 |
| Communication, General | 11,299 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies | 8,694 |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other | 2,273 |
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors similar to Communication & Media Studies that also offer bachelor’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| 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 |
References
The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- 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.