Bachelor's · Houston, Texas
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of Houston 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 in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.4 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $48,975
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $53,217
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $49k (likely $49k – $65k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $17k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in TX
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 4.4 years (likely 3.1–6.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$52k (likely −$123k – $20k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $149k (likely $2k – $289k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 66%
- 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 / ≤ 20%
- 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 Houston
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's)$138,873
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$138,841
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First professional)$137,021
- Law (First professional)$135,984
- Optometry (First professional)$129,383
- Chemical Engineering (Master's)$125,334
- Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$125,271
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's)$122,385
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral)$114,813
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Master's)$110,277
- Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's)$110,184
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$107,399
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Texas
- The University of Texas at Austin$72,210
- Texas A&M University-College Station$64,533
- Texas Christian University$63,531
- The University of Texas Permian Basin$60,805
- Trinity University$59,494
- Southwestern University$59,372
- Baylor University$58,915
- The University of Texas at El Paso$58,451
- Texas Tech University$58,196
- Southern Methodist University$57,636