Communication and Media Studies at Arcadia University

With a starting salary of $27,061 and $27,000 in debt, Arcadia's Communication and Media Studies program lands in the bottom quartile nationally (11th percentile) and the lower half even among Pennsylvania programs (25th percentile). That first-year earnings figure sits nearly $8,000 below the national median for this major and more than $5,000 below Pennsylvania's typical outcome. While the 46% earnings growth to $39,533 by year four is encouraging, graduates still trail peers at schools like Villanova ($52,294) and Penn ($53,022) by significant margins.

The small sample size here—fewer than 30 graduates—means these numbers could swing considerably year to year, but the pattern is still worth considering. A dollar of debt for every dollar of first-year income creates immediate financial pressure, and even after four years, that debt represents over two-thirds of annual earnings. For a family weighing this investment, the question becomes whether Arcadia's specific offerings justify outcomes that lag both state and national peers, especially when Pennsylvania has 63 programs to choose from in this field.

If your student is committed to communications, compare financial aid packages carefully and consider whether starting at a community college or attending a state school might provide similar outcomes with less debt. The admission rate and test scores suggest Arcadia isn't particularly selective, so students admitted here likely have other options worth exploring.