Communication and Media Studies at Kent State University at East Liverpool

Kent State East Liverpool's communication program lands squarely in the middle of Ohio's competitive market for media studies graduates. At $35,804 starting, graduates earn exactly the state median—meaning half of Ohio's communication programs do better, half do worse. The 60th percentile state ranking confirms this is a respectable middle-tier option, though it falls well short of Ohio's top programs like Denison ($47,396) or Dayton ($42,629).

The financial picture is manageable. With $26,000 in median debt and a 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates can reasonably expect to handle their loan payments—that's slightly better than the national debt benchmark for this major. The 24% earnings growth over four years (reaching $44,278) suggests graduates gain traction in the job market, though communication is rarely a high-earning field regardless of where you study it.

For families seeking an affordable in-state option for communication studies, this program delivers average outcomes at an average price point. You're not getting the premium placement that Ohio State or private schools provide, but you're also avoiding their higher costs. If your child has strong Ohio ties and realistic expectations about communication career earnings, this represents a solid value—just understand they'll need hustle and networking to match outcomes from the state's top programs.