Bachelor's+10% vs national median3,193 grads tracked
Communication and Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ranked 32nd of 307 bachelor's programs in Communication and Media Studies by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$39,719
middle 50%: $28,321 – $51,595
Median · 5 years out
$64,397
middle 50%: $46,956 – $87,420
Median · 10 years out
$87,316
middle 50%: $59,553 – $131,748
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
University of Wisconsin - Madison Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a $40k median salary in year one. Mid-career pay reaches $87k.
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
6.7 yrs
≈ $7,949 total interest
Same major at other universities
Sacred Heart University
$65,045 · 5 yrs out
Marymount University
$64,996 · 5 yrs out
Roanoke College
$64,930 · 5 yrs out
University of Utah
$64,747 · 5 yrs out
University of Georgia
$64,735 · 5 yrs out
Gustavus Adolphus College
$64,696 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Bloomington
$64,284 · 5 yrs out
Arizona State University
$64,126 · 5 yrs out
CUNY Brooklyn College
$63,800 · 5 yrs out
City College of New York - CUNY
$63,577 · 5 yrs out
University of Oklahoma
$63,382 · 5 yrs out
CUNY Hunter College
$63,323 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$227,440 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$191,060 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$179,858 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$176,530 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$153,901 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$153,036 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's)
$140,310 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$139,926 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$134,767 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$133,218 · 5 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)
$127,595 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$123,822 · 5 yrs out
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