Bachelor's · Greensboro, North Carolina
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro 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 8.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $38,665
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $46,435
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $21,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $52k (likely $52k – $69k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $10k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 8.1 years (likely 6.5–10.6)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$124k (likely −$182k – −$90k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $14k (likely −$81k – $105k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 58%
- 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 / ≤ 5%
- 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 North Carolina at Greensboro
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$140,488
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Master's)$120,866
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$105,380
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$104,581
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$87,640
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$86,372
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$80,383
- Public Administration (Master's)$78,025
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (Doctoral)$76,973
- Curriculum and Instruction (Doctoral)$76,741
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate certificate)$72,167
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$70,389
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in North Carolina
- Wake Forest University$77,984
- Elon University$73,750
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$70,240
- Queens University of Charlotte$65,985
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh$62,039
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte$60,407
- East Carolina University$59,432
- Appalachian State University$55,307
- University of North Carolina Wilmington$54,315
- High Point University$51,328