Communication and Media Studies at University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 269 graduates a year

$47,651
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$75,864
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,359
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#20 of 660
Rank by pay
#45 of 660
Rank, wage-adjusted
$15,875
Median federal debt

University of Southern California graduates in communication and media studies earn 35% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 21% of one year’s pay at that point.

How University of Southern California Compares for Communication and Media Studies

All 660 colleges reporting communication and media studies earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA$114,266$116,210#1$53,022
2Northwestern University Evanston, IL$93,541$91,903#2$52,210
3Cornell University Ithaca, NY$88,463$84,198#4$62,182
4Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA$84,206$76,622#11$51,720
5Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA$83,586$73,606#15$55,162
6Villanova University Villanova, PA$81,497$82,883#7$52,294
7Boston University Boston, MA$80,306$70,718#30$47,349
8Northeastern University Boston, MA$80,191$70,617#31$47,465
9Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston, MA$80,191$70,617#32$47,465
10University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI$79,648$83,980#5$50,556
…
17University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA$76,243$69,426#39$47,368
18Roanoke College Salem, VA$76,198$69,385#40$36,220
19Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN$75,906$81,433#9—
20University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$75,864$69,031#45$47,651
21University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA$75,612$68,802#46$43,696
22California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA$75,223$68,448#48$62,183
23Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY$74,726$71,124#22$41,818

Other Communication and Media Studies Credentials at University of Southern California

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree$68,587$91,873$70,426

Other Majors at University of Southern California by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$192,897$137,284#15 of 349
Computer Engineering$166,369—#8 of 189
Real Estate$143,977$98,763#1 of 25
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$131,532$89,684#9 of 258
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$125,514$78,980#1 of 59
Accounting and Related Services$121,101$73,903#6 of 796
Computer Software and Media Applications$115,839$103,071#4 of 54
Industrial Engineering$112,150$87,807#7 of 94
Business Administration, Management and Operations$109,128$71,668#16 of 1176
Real Estate Development$107,292$49,353—
Civil Engineering$106,308$85,262#4 of 233
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$106,094—#1 of 17
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$105,415$80,508#17 of 118
Mechanical Engineering$104,649$83,356#20 of 318
Applied Mathematics$101,094$71,622#18 of 45
Chemical Engineering$100,646$68,234#50 of 158
Engineering-Related Fields$96,120$73,234#9 of 33
Economics$94,435$57,060#85 of 368
Cognitive Science$93,440$34,295#7 of 19
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$91,726$69,479#2 of 76
Public Health$89,522$36,300#3 of 215
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$89,203$38,063#3 of 67
Design and Applied Arts$89,022$64,846#5 of 299
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$87,946$50,041#3 of 178
International Relations and National Security Studies$84,866$52,262#12 of 118
History$79,940$36,876#12 of 459
Journalism$79,776$44,651#4 of 187
Architectural Sciences and Technology$78,741$47,874#4 of 22
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$78,731—#3 of 265
Political Science and Government$75,090$38,063#66 of 565

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do University of Southern California communication and media studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $47,651 one year after graduating and $75,864 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does University of Southern California rank for communication and media studies?

Among 660 colleges reporting earnings for communication and media studies graduates, University of Southern California ranks #20 by median pay four years after graduation, and #45 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is communication and media studies at University of Southern California worth it?

Its graduates earn 35% more than the national median for communication and media studies ($56,359), and the median federal debt at graduation is $15,875.

← All data for University of Southern California · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.