Bachelor's · Tacoma, Washington
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of Puget Sound 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 slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 9.2 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $43,142
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $66,492
- 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
- $138k (likely $138k – $178k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $23k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in WA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 9.2 years (likely 7.2–13.0)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$158k (likely −$262k – −$72k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $124k (likely −$53k – $335k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 69%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
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 Puget Sound
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$98,696
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral)$85,925
- Economics (Bachelor's)$81,082
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's)$79,192
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$77,585
- Education, General (Master's)$77,402
- Mathematics (Bachelor's)$75,462
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$68,035
- Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's)$65,986
- Psychology, General (Bachelor's)$61,919
- History (Bachelor's)$60,458
- Area Studies (Bachelor's)$57,407
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Washington
- Gonzaga University$73,558
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus$64,153
- University of Washington-Bothell Campus$64,153
- University of Washington-Tacoma Campus$64,153
- Seattle Pacific University$62,411
- Washington State University$62,406
- Seattle University$57,599
- Pacific Lutheran University$57,317
- Central Washington University$56,862
- Western Washington University$56,415