Communication and Media Studies graduates from San Diego State University earn $84,280 median salary, above the national average for this program.
Communication and Media Studies at San Diego State University
San Diego, California • Master's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Communication and Media Studies at San Diego State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for San Diego State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Communication and Media Studies at the master'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 40 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at San Diego State University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $84,280 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 $72,935 across all institutions offering Communication and Media Studies, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at San Diego State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $73,468, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $120,003 | $73,250 |
| Northwestern University | $116,101 | $55,813 |
| Johns Hopkins University | $107,409 | $39,737 |
| Northeastern University | $97,115 | - |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | $97,115 | - |
| American University | $94,424 | $51,250 |
| University of Southern California | $91,873 | $70,426 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $88,174 | - |
| Wayne State University | $87,918 | $33,381 |
| University of Florida | $86,823 | $29,671 |
Other Programs at San Diego State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $165,564 | - |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | $158,013 | $64,225 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $120,799 | $17,375 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $120,682 | $55,840 |
| Computer Engineering | $116,842 | $17,249 |
| Psychology, General | $111,549 | $30,710 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $110,830 | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $106,416 | $17,999 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $103,392 | $20,000 |
| Computer Science | $100,586 | $16,866 |
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.
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.