Communication and Media Studies at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA · Bachelor's Degree · about 93 graduates a year

$34,181
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$55,505
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,359
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#291 of 660
Rank by pay
#265 of 660
Rank, wage-adjusted
$25,000
Median federal debt

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus graduates in communication and media studies earn 2% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 45% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 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
…
288Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Middletown, PA$55,505$56,449#262$34,181
289Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine Media, PA$55,505$56,449#263$34,181
290Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly Lemont Furnace, PA$55,505$56,449#264$34,181
291Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA$55,505$56,449#265$34,181
292Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny Mckeesport, PA$55,505$56,449#266$34,181
293Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York York, PA$55,505$56,449#267$34,181
294Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA$55,505$56,449#268$34,181

Other Communication and Media Studies Credentials at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Doctoral Degree—$75,616—

Other Majors at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$120,729$84,050#43 of 459
Petroleum Engineering$113,669$85,795#7 of 19
Computer Engineering$112,269$85,446#69 of 189
Industrial Engineering$104,758$78,975#21 of 94
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services$104,205$67,306#2 of 37
Chemical Engineering$103,728$82,218#33 of 158
Engineering$102,134$73,153#6 of 19
Computer Science$101,854$72,884#157 of 349
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$100,416$76,531#28 of 118
Engineering Science$100,176$79,909#3 of 9
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$99,159$73,100#22 of 59
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$98,637$73,941#20 of 99
Finance and Financial Management Services$96,714$68,552#75 of 452
Management Information Systems and Services$95,935$66,169#29 of 166
Architectural Engineering$94,483$80,070#2 of 16
Nuclear Engineering$94,365$78,218#7 of 12
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$93,277$74,958#215 of 258
Materials Sciences$92,864$72,216—
Information Science/Studies$91,671$66,209#35 of 148
Mining and Mineral Engineering$91,411—#6 of 7
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$91,032$77,955#329 of 966
Accounting and Related Services$88,192$63,425#137 of 796
Engineering$88,063$68,331#30 of 57
Mechanical Engineering$87,997$69,772#241 of 318
Polymer/Plastics Engineering$87,636$68,438#6 of 6
Agricultural Engineering$87,564$62,382#9 of 26
Statistics$86,636$68,254#26 of 50
Food Science and Technology$83,112$59,722#3 of 29
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians$81,835$65,043#19 of 23
Physics$81,763$43,461#45 of 107

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus communication and media studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $34,181 one year after graduating and $55,505 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus rank for communication and media studies?

Among 660 colleges reporting earnings for communication and media studies graduates, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks #291 by median pay four years after graduation, and #265 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is communication and media studies at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus worth it?

Its graduates earn 2% less than the national median for communication and media studies ($56,359), and the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

← All data for Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · 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.