Bachelor's+14% vs national median3,023 grads tracked
Communication and Media Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Ranked 22nd of 307 bachelor's programs in Communication and Media Studies by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$43,417
middle 50%: $31,284 – $55,518
Median · 5 years out
$66,443
middle 50%: $49,628 – $87,798
Median · 10 years out
$88,628
middle 50%: $60,567 – $125,059
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Communication and Media Studies (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Media Studies majors at Virginia Tech see year-one median salaries of $43k. Compensation reaches $89k by the tenth year.
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
6.4 yrs
≈ $7,468 total interest
Same major at other universities
Texas Tech University
$67,110 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Arlington
$67,042 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts at Boston
$66,946 · 5 yrs out
Miami University
$66,886 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$66,714 · 5 yrs out
Quinnipiac University
$66,514 · 5 yrs out
Colorado State University - Global Campus
$66,438 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Albany
$65,674 · 5 yrs out
College of Saint Benedict
$65,554 · 5 yrs out
Sacred Heart University
$65,045 · 5 yrs out
Marymount University
$64,996 · 5 yrs out
Roanoke College
$64,930 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$160,426 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$155,674 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$148,193 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$132,072 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$130,533 · 5 yrs out
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$129,123 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$125,251 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$125,251 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$121,443 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$119,838 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Master's)
$116,512 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$109,749 · 5 yrs out
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