Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Manhattan University

Manhattan University's communications program shows earnings that rank near the bottom among New York schools—10th percentile statewide, 5th percentile nationally—with first-year graduates earning just $26,502. That's $12,000 below what typical graduates from this major earn in New York and nearly $14,000 below the national median. Even among the state's 28 programs, Syracuse grads start at more than double Manhattan's first-year figure, while nearby competitors like Hofstra and Pace exceed $42,000. For a program in the New York metro area, where communications industries cluster, these numbers demand scrutiny.

The dramatic earnings jump to $61,402 by year four looks promising on paper—a 132% increase that eventually surpasses state and national medians. However, with fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, that fourth-year number could easily reflect a handful of successful alumni rather than a reliable pattern. Small samples can swing wildly, and this particularly stark gap between year one and year four suggests the data may not represent typical outcomes. The debt level of $25,832 is manageable relative to that fourth-year number, but nearly equals the entire first-year salary.

Unless your student has specific reasons to choose Manhattan over established communications programs like Syracuse or Pace, the risk here is substantial. You're betting on uncertain long-term growth rather than proven immediate placement outcomes that other New York schools consistently deliver.