---

Visual Communications

Types of Degrees Visual Communications Majors Are Earning

Those studying Visual Communications can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	469
Associate’s Degree	1,265
Bachelor’s Degree	3,102
Master’s Degree	1,253
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Visual Communications Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Visual Communications program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Originality — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Visual Communications graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Visual Communications professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	✓
JavaScript	Web platform development software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Visual Communications graduates include:

• Designer
• Woodshop Instructor
• Graphic Design Professor
• Choral Teacher
• Art History Professor
• Stagecraft Professor
• Instructor
• Piano Pedagogy Professor
• Art Instructor
• Adjunct College Instructor
• Baton Teacher
• Voice Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Open Rank Professor
• Dramatic Art Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.9%
Master’s degree	29.8%
Doctoral degree	15.8%
Some college courses	5.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.1%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.0%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Visual Communications?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.4% of Visual Communications degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,168	67.4%
Men	2,018	32.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,217	52.0%
Asian	594	9.6%
Hispanic or Latino	980	15.8%
Black or African American	606	9.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	35	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	16	0.3%
Two or More Races	293	4.7%
Race Unknown	183	3.0%
International Students	262	4.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Visual Communications Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Visual 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	$32,054
4 years	$41,389
5 years	$46,982

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $46,982 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Visual Communications Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Visual 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	4	3
Bachelor’s	5	4
Master’s	4	2

^{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 Visual Communications Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Visual Communications graduates earn a median of $41,389 four years after completion — roughly 9% 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
Design and Applied Arts	50.04
Commercial and Advertising Art	50.0402
Commercial Photography	50.0406
Design and Applied Arts, Other	50.0499
Fashion/Apparel Design	50.0407
Game and Interactive Media Design	50.0411
Graphic Design	50.0409
Illustration	50.0410
Industrial and Product Design	50.0404
Interior Design	50.0408
Digital Arts	50.0102
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology	50.0502

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.