Graphic Communications

Types of Degrees Graphic Communications Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many graphic communications graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	410
Graduate Certificate	50

What Graphic Communications Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, graphic communication majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Graphic Communication Majors

Graphic Communication majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for Graphic Communication Majors

graphic communication majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Graphic Communication Majors

A major in graphic communication will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

What Can You Do With a Graphic Communications Major?

People with a graphic communication degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Multimedia Artists and Animators	8.4%	$72,520

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Graphic Communications?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 49% of the graduates are women, and 51% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of graphic communication majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	16
Black or African American	31
Hispanic or Latino	38
White	106
International Students	184
Other Races/Ethnicities	35

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Graphic Communication. About 44.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• India
• Singapore

How Much Do Graphic Communications Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of graphic communications students with a master’s degree is $37,192 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $32,678 (25th percentile) and $41,705 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to graphic communication.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $34,550 to $46,750 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to graphic communication. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Graphic Communications

Some careers associated with graphic communication require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to graphic communication have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	38.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	9.2%
Some College Courses	17.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	14.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	13.0%
Master’s Degree	0.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.4%

Online Graphic Communications Programs

In 2020-2021, 431 schools offered a graphic communication program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	201	7
Certificate (2-4 Years)	11	1
Associate’s Degree	235	10
Bachelor’s Degree	4	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	23	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Graphic Communications Worth It?

The median salary for a graphic communication grad is $38,470 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Majors Related to Graphic Communications

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to graphic communication.

Major	Number of Grads
Audiovisual Communications	89
Communications Technology	21
Other Communication Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities 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 at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.