Radio, Television, and Digital Communication at University of Northwestern-St Paul

The big surprise here: graduates earn $40,361 right after graduation—putting them in the 95th percentile nationally for this degree. That's 35% above the national median and competitive with the Minnesota state average. The debt load of $24,013 is reasonable, translating to a manageable 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio. For parents worried that a communications degree means poverty wages, this program appears to deliver real market value.

The cautionary note is what happens next. Earnings actually decline to $37,165 by year four, an 8% drop that's unusual and worth understanding. This could reflect the program's small size (under 30 graduates in the data), meaning a few career changes could skew the numbers. Or it might suggest graduates are taking entry-level media jobs that don't immediately lead to advancement. Among the ten Minnesota programs offering this degree, Northwestern ranks at the 60th percentile—solid middle-of-the-pack locally, even as it outperforms most programs nationally.

For a family considering this path, the initial earning power suggests Northwestern is doing something right in job placement or curriculum. The debt is manageable enough that a graduate isn't trapped. But have honest conversations about career trajectory in media—the declining earnings pattern means year one might be as good as it gets financially for the first several years.