Bachelor's · Indiana, Pennsylvania
Is Communication and Media Studies at Indiana 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 12.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $36,750
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $46,812
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $25,466
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $74k (likely $74k – $97k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $8k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 12.7 years (likely 9.3–20+)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$187k (likely −$258k – −$144k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$79k (likely −$186k – $32k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 52%
- 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 Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Master's)$115,062
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$110,617
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Doctoral)$94,212
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$90,853
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)$90,257
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$84,825
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate certificate)$82,484
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$82,343
- Public Health (Master's)$80,017
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral)$79,646
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$77,097
- Economics (Bachelor's)$75,865
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