Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at University of Missouri-Columbia

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a striking story: MU's certificate program delivers double the national median earnings for broadcast communications certificates—$38,728 versus $18,896 nationally. That's a 94th percentile performance that puts it among the elite programs in the country. The $19,500 debt load looks modest in absolute terms and translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.5, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in six months of gross earnings. That's genuinely impressive for a certificate program.

The Missouri context is harder to interpret since only four schools offer this certificate statewide, all apparently clustering at similar performance levels. What matters more is the national comparison, where MU dramatically outperforms peers. That said, small samples can swing wildly year-to-year based on where just a handful of graduates land jobs. If three students got positions at major networks or production companies while two others struggled, it could skew the entire picture.

For parents considering this, the core question is straightforward: is your child committed to launching a media career and willing to leverage MU's network? If yes, this certificate appears to open doors that similar programs don't. But recognize you're betting on results from a small cohort that may not repeat, and you should verify current placement outcomes directly with the program before enrolling.