Communication and Media Studies at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The numbers here demand serious scrutiny. At $20,175 one year after graduation, TAMU-Kingsville communication graduates earn just half what the typical Texas communication graduate makes ($33,906), landing this program in the bottom 10% statewide. While earnings do climb significantly by year four to $37,529, that still trails both state and national medians. The $20,519 in debt means graduates spend their entire first year's salary just covering what they borrowed—a 1.02 debt-to-earnings ratio that ranks in the worst 20% nationally for debt burden.

Context matters here: this is a highly accessible campus (92% admission rate) serving a predominantly lower-income student body, where 55% qualify for Pell grants. The small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means one or two outliers could skew these figures significantly. But even accounting for statistical noise, the gap is troubling. Top Texas programs like UT Austin and Baylor place their communication graduates near $44,000, more than double what this program delivers initially.

If your child is set on communication studies and needs an affordable, accessible option, understand they'll likely struggle financially in those first years out of college. The debt load is manageable compared to many programs, but that's only because the borrowing aligns with depressed starting salaries. Unless financial circumstances absolutely require staying local, this program represents a weak value compared to other Texas public universities.