Communication and Media Studies graduates from CUNY Hunter College earn $55,182 median salary, above the national average for this program. Median debt: $10,875.
Communication and Media Studies at CUNY Hunter College
New York, New York • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Communication and Media Studies at CUNY Hunter College
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for CUNY Hunter College and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Communication and Media Studies at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 164 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at CUNY Hunter College, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $55,182 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $54,750 across all institutions offering Communication and Media Studies, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at CUNY Hunter College, the mean median-earnings figure is $73,822, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Communication and Media Studies graduates at CUNY Hunter College is $10,875, which translates to roughly $91 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.20: reported annual earnings exceed cumulative debt. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Communication and Media Studies at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $114,266 | $15,000 |
| Northwestern University | $93,541 | $17,687 |
| Cornell University | $88,463 | $14,400 |
| Santa Clara University | $84,206 | $17,832 |
| Boston College | $83,586 | $18,000 |
| Villanova University | $81,497 | $26,228 |
| Boston University | $80,306 | $23,250 |
| Northeastern University | $80,191 | $21,500 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | $80,191 | $21,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $79,648 | $19,941 |
Other Programs at CUNY Hunter College
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $142,731 | $20,500 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | $131,961 | $23,186 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $116,361 | $12,500 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | $104,791 | - |
| Computer Science | $102,321 | $9,553 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $98,103 | - |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $93,750 | $54,600 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $91,520 | $41,000 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | $89,866 | $28,918 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $88,978 | $30,530 |
Other Schools with Communication and Media Studies
Quick picks offering the same program – compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.