Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at Ball State University

Ball State's program clears what is typically a difficult bar for media degrees: graduates earn more than the national median right out of the gate, and that advantage grows over time. Starting at $32,118, graduates see their earnings jump 26% by year four—reaching $40,496. That's a meaningful acceleration in a field where many programs leave graduates with stagnant entry-level wages. Among Indiana's 18 programs in this field, Ball State sits squarely at the median for both earnings and debt, but that state benchmark itself performs reasonably well nationally.

The debt picture is manageable at $23,443, translating to a 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio that's below the common warning threshold of 1.0. While Purdue Global's program shows notably higher earnings ($48,015), that comparison requires scrutiny—online programs often attract working professionals with existing experience. More telling is Ball State's edge over Indiana University campuses in Indianapolis and South Bend, where graduates earn less despite similar institutional profiles.

The bottom line: if your child is committed to broadcasting or digital media, Ball State offers a middle-of-the-road investment with better-than-average outcomes. The early earnings won't dazzle, but the upward trajectory and reasonable debt load suggest graduates gain skills that translate to career advancement rather than dead-end jobs.