Communication and Media Studies at Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Bachelor's Degree · about 70 graduates a year

$40,497
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$57,110
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,359
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#241 of 660
Rank by pay
#158 of 660
Rank, wage-adjusted
$16,875
Median federal debt

Iowa State University graduates in communication and media studies earn 1% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 30% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Iowa 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
…
238Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA$57,254$52,135#401$36,953
239California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA$57,138$51,992#406$30,794
240St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY$57,112$54,359#333$28,480
241Iowa State University Ames, IA$57,110$60,073#158$40,497
242CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY$57,024$54,275#336$27,262
243University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR$56,969$67,133#53$40,095
244Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA$56,968$50,166#474$34,146

Other Majors at Iowa State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Engineering$105,753$79,182#96 of 189
Computer Science$104,211$78,517#143 of 349
Construction Engineering$100,676$77,845#8 of 13
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$99,705$84,913#111 of 258
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$94,089$75,036#41 of 59
Business/Managerial Economics$93,379—#16 of 84
Industrial Engineering$92,914$74,310#65 of 94
Chemical Engineering$92,773$76,184#109 of 158
Agricultural Engineering$88,576$72,376#6 of 26
Management Information Systems and Services$87,413—#64 of 166
Mechanical Engineering$85,938$72,900#276 of 318
Civil Engineering$85,427$72,502#112 of 233
Materials Engineering$83,416$65,831#31 of 34
Computer and Information Sciences$83,267$60,397#243 of 459
Engineering-Related Fields$82,548$62,416#28 of 33
Agricultural Mechanization$78,890$63,321#1 of 10
Business Administration, Management and Operations$78,304$57,188#173 of 1176
Finance and Financial Management Services$75,360$56,974#254 of 452
Economics$75,355$57,619#224 of 368
Statistics$72,581$53,132#46 of 50
Accounting and Related Services$70,706$58,479#466 of 796
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$69,673—#4 of 137
Architecture$69,310$54,957#31 of 78
Agricultural Business and Management$67,529$53,967#27 of 77
Chemistry$66,486$43,870#105 of 209
Marketing$66,482$48,304#262 of 516
Food Science and Technology$65,943$60,351#21 of 29
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$65,204$50,150#47 of 138
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$63,026$43,520#70 of 110
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$62,965$42,530#82 of 178

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Graduates earn a median $40,497 one year after graduating and $57,110 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

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

Among 660 colleges reporting earnings for communication and media studies graduates, Iowa State University ranks #241 by median pay four years after graduation, and #158 after adjusting for state wage levels.

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

Its graduates earn 1% more than the national median for communication and media studies ($56,359), and the median federal debt at graduation is $16,875.

← All data for Iowa 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.