Master's-4% vs national median448 grads tracked
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs at Illinois State University
Ranked 60th of 124 master's programs in Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$52,299
middle 50%: $39,323 – $64,530
Median · 5 years out
$69,086
middle 50%: $53,319 – $88,519
Median · 10 years out
$83,358
middle 50%: $62,031 – $111,499
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs (master's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Illinois State University graduates in communication programs see median first-year salaries of $52k. After ten years, median pay reaches $83k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
5.9 yrs
≈ $6,570 total interest
Same major at other universities
SUNY College at Brockport
$69,498 · 5 yrs out
Texas Tech University
$69,297 · 5 yrs out
Northern Arizona University
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
University of Colorado Boulder
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Northeastern Illinois University
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
University of South Carolina - Columbia
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Sacred Heart University
$68,450 · 5 yrs out
University of Cincinnati
$68,363 · 5 yrs out
University of Wisconsin - Madison
$68,022 · 5 yrs out
University of North Texas
$67,811 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Bloomington
$67,570 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Illinois State University
Education (Doctorate)
$110,151 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$110,004 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$100,616 · 5 yrs out
Construction Management (Bachelor's)
$95,329 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$94,916 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$92,435 · 5 yrs out
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)
$91,685 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's)
$91,592 · 5 yrs out
Psychology (Doctorate)
$89,527 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$88,197 · 5 yrs out
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields (Master's)
$87,772 · 5 yrs out
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Bachelor's)
$85,173 · 5 yrs out
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