Bachelor's · Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Is Communication and Media Studies at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania 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 7.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $41,117
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $56,740
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $26,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $74k (likely $74k – $98k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $18k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.1 years (likely 5.9–8.9)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$97k (likely −$163k – −$53k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $125k (likely $24k – $248k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 54%
- 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 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$129,202
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's)$123,385
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$97,252
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$92,190
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$89,958
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Doctoral)$86,041
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$85,353
- Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's)$83,710
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$81,041
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's)$76,001
- Public Health (Bachelor's)$75,679
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's)$73,986
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Pennsylvania
- University of Pennsylvania$114,266
- Villanova University$81,497
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$69,573
- Washington & Jefferson College$68,066
- La Salle University$61,347
- Ursinus College$61,017
- Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$59,929
- Muhlenberg College$58,473
- Eastern University$58,371
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College$55,505