Bachelor's · Saint Louis, Missouri
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of Missouri-St Louis worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 7.5 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $43,379
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $51,621
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,875
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $64k (likely $64k – $88k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $13k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in MO
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.5 years (likely 5.8–10.4)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$120k (likely −$197k – −$71k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $55k (likely −$65k – $174k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 62%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Communication and Media Studies at other schools
🎬 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward media & storytelling majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Seminar
IB Higher Level
- Language A: Literature HL or Language and Literature HL
- Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at University of Missouri-St Louis
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate certificate)$152,441
- Optometry (First professional)$138,537
- Business/Commerce, General (Master's)$129,101
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$116,260
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$114,746
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$102,723
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$96,083
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)$89,660
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$86,056
- Education, General (Doctoral)$85,991
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$84,087
- Civil Engineering (Bachelor's)$81,305
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Missouri
- University of Missouri-Columbia$61,007
- Saint Louis University$57,787
- Missouri Western State University$55,059
- Lindenwood University$54,917
- University of Central Missouri$52,463
- Truman State University$50,785
- Missouri State University-Springfield$50,065
- Northwest Missouri State University$50,012
- University of Missouri-Kansas City$49,135
- Avila University$48,148