Bachelor's · Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 5.8 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $45,348
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $62,345
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $18,187
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $68k (likely $68k – $92k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $21k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in WI
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 5.8 years (likely 4.8–7.3)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$66k (likely −$137k – −$9k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $202k (likely $70k – $347k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 62%
- 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 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$136,439
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$129,249
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$106,724
- Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)$90,193
- Physics (Bachelor's)$87,033
- Mathematics (Bachelor's)$83,027
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$83,018
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's)$80,564
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$78,912
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$75,724
- Marketing (Bachelor's)$70,891
- International Business (Bachelor's)$70,219
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh$64,103
- University of Wisconsin-Madison$61,270
- Marquette University$60,482
- Ottawa University-Milwaukee$59,445
- Mount Mary University$56,763
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse$56,470
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee$55,697
- Carthage College$55,654
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater$55,152
- Edgewood University$54,257