Communication and Media Studies at Central Connecticut State University

Central Connecticut State's Communication and Media Studies program starts slower than most, with first-year earnings at $30,399 placing it below both the state and national medians. However, the real story here is trajectory: earnings jump 48% by year four to nearly $45,000, significantly outpacing what typical communication graduates earn at that stage. Within Connecticut's competitive media landscape, this program sits at the 40th percentile—solidly middle-of-the-pack and roughly $12,000 behind UConn's various campuses by year four.

The financial fundamentals are manageable. At $23,250, student debt runs about $2,500 below Connecticut's median for communication programs, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 that's workable even during that lean first year. The earnings acceleration suggests graduates either break into better-paying media roles after gaining experience or successfully transition into adjacent fields like corporate communications or public relations.

For families considering this program, the key question is whether your student can weather those early-career years on $30,000 while building the portfolio and connections that appear to drive later success. The 76% admission rate and significant Pell Grant population (35%) suggest this is an accessible path into communications for Connecticut families, but it requires patience. If your child can live affordably post-graduation—perhaps at home initially—the four-year earnings picture becomes considerably more attractive than the first-year numbers suggest.