Communication and Media Studies at Eastern Oregon University

Eastern Oregon University's communication degree sits solidly in the middle of the pack, outearning both state and national medians by roughly $3,000-4,000 annually. Among Oregon's 17 programs, these graduates land around the 60th percentile—competitive with Western Oregon and ahead of flagship schools like University of Oregon and Portland State. The $37,143 first-year salary won't impress anyone, but it's respectable for a broad liberal arts degree from a regional campus.

The debt picture is unusually favorable. At $29,801, borrowers here carry significantly less than the national median of $25,000 might suggest—this program ranks in the 5th percentile for debt, meaning 95% of similar programs saddle graduates with more. The 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates earn back their full debt load in under a year of work, which is manageable territory for an entry-level humanities degree.

The major caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so one or two outliers could skew the picture considerably. For families considering Eastern Oregon for in-state tuition reasons, these numbers suggest reasonable value—you're not paying premium prices for below-average outcomes. Just understand that communication degrees typically require hustle and networking to translate into stable careers, regardless of where you earn them.