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Communications

Types of Degrees Communications Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Communications have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	405
Bachelor’s Degree	9,658
Master’s Degree	1,182
Doctor’s Degree	52

What Communications Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Communications emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Communications graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Communications emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Communications program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Communications careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Communications graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Communications professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Communications graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Communications Faculty Member
• Speech Professor
• Instructor
• Communication Skills Instructor
• Communication Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Communications Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Communication Arts Professor
• Journalist Professor
• Mass Communications Professor
• Communications Professor
• Lecturer
• Communication Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Communications graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.6%
Master’s degree	32.4%
Some college courses	9.1%
Doctoral degree	6.9%
Post-doctoral training	4.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Communications?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66.2% of Communications degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,482	66.2%
Men	3,817	33.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Communications graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,947	52.6%
Asian	585	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	2,107	18.6%
Black or African American	1,205	10.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.1%
Two or More Races	557	4.9%
Race Unknown	291	2.6%
International Students	559	4.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Communications Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Communications graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,014
4 years	$49,526
5 years	$57,312

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,312 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Communications Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Communications. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	12	6
Bachelor’s	36	27
Master’s	16	14

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Communications Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Communications graduates earn a median of $49,526 four years after completion — roughly 30% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Communication, General	09.01
Communication and Media Studies, Other	09.0199
Mass Communication/Media Studies	09.0102
Speech Communication and Rhetoric	09.0101
Broadcast Journalism	09.0402
Political Communication	09.0904
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	09.0900
Public Relations/Image Management	09.0902
International and Intercultural Communication	09.0907
Journalism	09.0401
Sports Communication	09.0906
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	09.9999

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.