Communication and Media Studies at College of Saint Benedict

College of Saint Benedict's Communication and Media Studies program sits in an interesting position: it outperforms the vast majority of similar programs nationally while landing squarely in the middle of Minnesota's competitive landscape. Graduates earn $45,702 in their first year—31% above the national median for communications majors and ranking in the 95th percentile nationwide. However, within Minnesota's cluster of strong liberal arts colleges, this places in the 60th percentile, trailing schools like Gustavus Adolphus and Concordia-Saint Paul by several thousand dollars.

The program's real strength emerges in its manageable debt load ($27,000) combined with solid earnings growth—income increases 24% to $56,614 by year four. That 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly seven months of their starting salary, a comfortable position compared to the typical communications major nationally. While the debt is slightly above Minnesota's median for these programs, the earnings trajectory helps offset this.

For families considering private liberal arts colleges in Minnesota, this represents a solid middle option in a state with unusually strong outcomes for communications majors. You're paying for a private college experience and getting better-than-national results, though not necessarily the top earnings within your home state. If your child values the Saint Benedict community specifically, the financial fundamentals support that choice—just know you're not getting a bargain relative to other Minnesota options.