Communication and Media Studies at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU's communication program significantly outperforms the Louisiana market, placing graduates in the 80th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $38,426—over $11,000 above the state median of $27,375. That's a meaningful gap when you consider that other Louisiana programs, including Tulane, trail behind LSU's outcomes. Nationally, the program sits comfortably in the 68th percentile, beating the typical communications graduate by about $3,500 annually.

The debt picture strengthens the case: at $22,875, graduates carry less burden than both state and national benchmarks, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60. By year four, median earnings climb 24% to $47,536, suggesting graduates build momentum rather than plateau early. For a field often criticized for weak financial returns, these are solid numbers backed by a robust sample size of over 100 graduates.

For Louisiana families, this represents strong in-state value. If your student is drawn to communications, LSU delivers substantially better outcomes than most alternatives in the state while charging reasonable debt levels. The trajectory from $38,000 to nearly $48,000 over four years indicates real career development, not just entry-level stagnation.