Communication and Media Studies at Valley City State University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 suggests this program should be manageable financially—peer communication programs nationally indicate graduates can expect to carry about eight months of their first-year salary in debt. That's a reasonable load, though not exactly a bargain. Valley City State's typical student takes on an estimated $24,000, slightly below the national median for this major, while first-year earnings track right at the national middle at roughly $35,000.

What's harder to gauge here is Valley City State's specific value add. Communication programs across North Dakota show remarkably similar outcomes—the University of North Dakota reports essentially identical first-year earnings. This suggests the state's media job market may be compressed, with less variation between schools than you'd see in larger markets. That could mean your child's network and internship opportunities during college matter as much as the degree itself.

The practical reality: if your child can graduate near the estimated debt level and land work quickly, the math works. Communication degrees don't typically command premium starting salaries, but they're versatile. The risk is that these are peer-program estimates rather than Valley City's actual track record, so you're betting on similarity to other schools. Before committing, I'd want to know where recent graduates actually landed jobs and whether the program has strong regional media connections.