MAJORS · 58 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a communication & media studies degree worth it?
Part of Communications and Journalism — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$257,210. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$257,210
across 740 bachelor’s programs · 109,334 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$257K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$109K ⟷ +$391K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
11%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
34
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$142K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$112K
Questions
- Is a communication & media studies degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 740 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Communication & Media Studies is +$257,210 and the median is +$256,951. 11% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$109,012 and +$391,284.
- How long until a communication & media studies degree pays off?
- Among Communication & Media Studies programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 34 (FREOPP 2021). 11% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a communication & media studies major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Communication & Media Studies graduates span +$109,012 to +$391,284 — a +$282K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Communication & Media Studies: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/communication-and-media-studies