MAJORS · 25 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a graphic communications degree worth it?
Part of Communications and Journalism — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$39,153. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$39,153
across 75 bachelor’s programs · 5,978 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$106K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$237K ⟷ +$161K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
60.8%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$39K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$139K
Questions
- Is a graphic communications degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 75 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Graphic Communications is +$39,153 and the median is −$105,964. 60.8% 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 −$236,556 and +$160,971.
- How long until a graphic communications degree pays off?
- Among Graphic Communications programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 35 (FREOPP 2021). 60.8% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a graphic communications major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Graphic Communications graduates span −$236,556 to +$160,971 — a +$398K 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). “Graphic Communications: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/graphic-communications