Communication and Media Studies at The University of Tennessee-Martin

UT-Martin's Communication and Media Studies program starts graduates at just $26,803—the 5th percentile nationally and well below the state median of $27,380. While that puts this program near the bottom nationally, within Tennessee it sits at the 40th percentile, meaning half the state's communication programs do even worse. The debt load of $24,481 is manageable relative to first-year earnings (0.91 ratio), but you're still borrowing nearly a year's salary to enter the job market at poverty-level wages.

The program shows 29% earnings growth by year four, reaching $34,529, which finally approaches the national median. However, students from UT-Knoxville and Belmont start at over $41,000—meaning their day-one earnings exceed where UT-Martin graduates land after four years of career progression. For families considering in-state options, this matters: you're not just accepting lower initial pay, you're likely playing catch-up for years.

The practical reality? If your child is set on communications and UT-Martin is the affordable option, the debt is reasonable enough that they won't be crushed by payments. But understand they'll likely need to live at home initially or find supplemental income. If finances allow even modest additional investment, the UT system's Knoxville or Chattanooga campuses deliver dramatically better starting positions for similar debt levels.