Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Metropolitan State University of Denver

At $32,601 in first-year earnings, Metropolitan State's communications program trails the Colorado median by $5,000 and lands in the bottom 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of similar programs nationwide produce better-earning graduates. That's a red flag in an already-challenging field. The debt load of $30,875 isn't outrageous on paper, but when your graduate is barely clearing $32,000 annually, that 0.95 debt-to-earnings ratio means they're carrying nearly a full year's salary in loans. Compare this to University of Colorado Boulder's communications program, which starts graduates at $42,000—a $10,000 gap that compounds over time.

The concerning part isn't just the low starting salary; it's that earnings actually decline slightly over the first four years rather than growing. While MSU Denver serves an important access mission with its 99% admission rate and significant Pell population, families should recognize they're paying for a degree that underperforms other Colorado options. If communications is the goal and location flexibility exists, the state median of $37,000 represents a 15% earnings improvement over this program. For students committed to MSU Denver, exploring their programs in fields with stronger outcomes would be worth serious consideration before committing to this particular major.