Communication and Media Studies at Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Bachelor's Degree · about 166 graduates a year

$38,125
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$60,414
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,359
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#162 of 660
Rank by pay
#176 of 660
Rank, wage-adjusted
$19,500
Median federal debt

Illinois State University graduates in communication and media studies earn 7% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 32% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Illinois State University 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
…
159St. John's University-New York Queens, NY$60,634$57,711#223$27,234
160Manhattanville College Purchase, NY$60,523$57,605#224$27,488
161Marquette University Milwaukee, WI$60,482$62,934#98$36,443
162Illinois State University Normal, IL$60,414$59,356#176$38,125
163University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA$60,411$53,198#364$42,480
164University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC$60,407$64,825#74$38,234
165University of Kansas Lawrence, KS$60,258$62,558#108$40,772

Other Communication and Media Studies Credentials at Illinois State University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree$45,215$62,006$19,775

Other Majors at Illinois State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$111,099$81,363#111 of 349
Computer and Information Sciences$98,382$65,127#128 of 459
Management Information Systems and Services$95,120$52,887#36 of 166
Insurance$94,124$51,499#8 of 21
Construction Management$91,017$70,672#38 of 57
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications$90,953$66,801#7 of 37
Finance and Financial Management Services$85,326$54,958#136 of 452
Public Health$84,790$59,207#7 of 215
Accounting and Related Services$84,458$62,940#188 of 796
Physics$81,949—#42 of 107
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$81,264$72,709#679 of 966
Engineering Technologies/Technicians$80,530$55,532#13 of 34
Marketing$77,956$51,687#93 of 516
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians$76,731$46,992—
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$76,121$51,839#38 of 51
Mathematics$75,318$52,597#114 of 309
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions$73,220$65,629#56 of 93
Health and Medical Administrative Services$71,707$48,886#61 of 275
International Business$71,058$52,491#68 of 115
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$70,671$47,553#103 of 126
Geography and Cartography$69,383$34,952#15 of 117
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$67,752$43,874#53 of 178
Business Administration, Management and Operations$66,660$50,647#496 of 1176
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$65,669$34,154#23 of 35
Biology$63,725$36,337#224 of 841
Agriculture$63,600$47,295#5 of 43
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$62,510—#59 of 215
Criminal Justice and Corrections$62,506$37,584#91 of 660
Apparel and Textiles$62,339$37,111#16 of 57
Chemistry$62,220—#144 of 209

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Illinois State University communication and media studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $38,125 one year after graduating and $60,414 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Illinois State University rank for communication and media studies?

Among 660 colleges reporting earnings for communication and media studies graduates, Illinois State University ranks #162 by median pay four years after graduation, and #176 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is communication and media studies at Illinois State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 7% more than the national median for communication and media studies ($56,359), and the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.

← All data for Illinois State University · 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.