Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduates from Illinois Media School earn $35,062 median salary — below the national average for this program. Median debt: $9,500.
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at Illinois Media School
Chicago, Illinois • Certificate
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at Illinois Media School
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Illinois Media School and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at the certificate 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 83 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Illinois Media School, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $35,062 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $37,055 across all institutions offering Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at Illinois Media School, the mean median-earnings figure is $37,062, 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 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduates at Illinois Media School is $9,500, which translates to roughly $79 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | $73,835 | $20,713 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | $54,680 | $20,000 |
| Illinois Media School (this school) | $35,062 | $9,500 |
| Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus | $35,062 | $9,500 |
| Husson University | $33,271 | $27,000 |
| Ohio Media School-Valley View | $31,878 | $9,500 |
| Colorado Media School | $31,878 | $9,500 |
| Ohio Media School-Columbus | $31,878 | $9,500 |
| Ohio Media School-Cincinnati | $27,726 | $9,500 |
| Miami Media School | $27,726 | $9,500 |
Other Programs at Illinois Media School
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $44,556 | $10,666 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (current) | $35,062 | $9,500 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $31,567 | $15,833 |
Other Schools with Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
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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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.