Communication and Media Studies at Mount St. Mary's University

Mount St. Mary's communication graduates start at $39,055—beating 72% of similar programs nationwide and sitting comfortably above Maryland's $36,880 median for this major. That's solid positioning for a program that typically struggles to demonstrate clear economic value, and the trajectory looks promising: earnings jump 30% to nearly $51,000 by year four.

The debt picture reinforces the program's accessibility. At $26,312, borrowing is barely above the national norm and translates to a manageable 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates owe about eight months' salary. For a communications degree, which often carries employment uncertainty in the early years, this level of debt won't box students into desperate job choices. They'll have room to pursue internships, entry-level positions in competitive markets, or additional training without crushing loan payments.

The caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so one or two high earners could be inflating these numbers. Still, the consistency across metrics—strong relative earnings, reasonable debt, healthy growth—suggests Mount St. Mary's prepares communications students better than most Maryland competitors not named UMD-College Park or Towson. If your child is set on this field and Mount St. Mary's campus culture fits, the numbers support the investment.