---
title: Is a Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other degree worth the debt?
cip: 0999
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **25** colleges (25 of 25 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $34,758 ($35,594 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $24,250 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.69× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $27,902–$37,747 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $34,758 | $24,250 | 0.69× | 25 | 25/25 |
| Master's | $42,106 | $53,940 | 0.91× | 7 | 7/7 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (MN) | $46,969 | $20,153 |
| Drexel University (PA) | $43,747 | — |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College (WI) | $40,758 | — |
| High Point University (NC) | $40,065 | $23,250 |
| California Lutheran University (CA) | $38,687 | $24,250 |
| Grand Valley State University (MI) | $38,420 | $24,250 |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha (NE) | $37,747 | $19,550 |
| University of St Thomas (MN) | $36,765 | — |
| Farmingdale State College (NY) | $35,922 | $12,882 |
| West Virginia University (WV) | $35,526 | $24,478 |
| Seton Hall University (NJ) | $35,211 | — |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks (PA) | $34,758 | $25,431 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (PA) | $34,758 | $25,431 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus (PA) | $34,758 | $25,431 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus (OH) | $33,775 | $22,375 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/communication-journalism-and-related-programs-other.jsonld` · `/education/fields/communication-journalism-and-related-programs-other.json`