Bachelor's · Saint Paul, Minnesota
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of St Thomas worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 7.4 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $47,877
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $69,729
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,750
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $134k (likely $134k – $139k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $28k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in MN
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.4 years (likely 5.7–9.9)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$78k (likely −$168k – $17k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $279k (likely $73k – $503k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 74%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Communication and Media Studies at other schools
Other majors at University of St Thomas
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$149,456
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral)$123,235
- Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's)$119,571
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$118,888
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Graduate certificate)$116,675
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate certificate)$116,216
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)$108,187
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$107,938
- Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$107,807
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$106,308
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's)$105,153
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Graduate certificate)$100,515
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Minnesota
- Gustavus Adolphus College$69,423
- College of Saint Benedict$64,430
- Augsburg University$63,850
- Metropolitan State University$61,355
- University of Minnesota-Duluth$60,023
- Hamline University$59,557
- Saint Cloud State University$56,388
- Minnesota State University-Mankato$56,119
- St Catherine University$55,058
- Crown College$54,958