Communication and Media Studies at Washington Adventist University

Based on comparable Communication and Media Studies programs in Maryland, Washington Adventist graduates can expect first-year earnings around $36,880—slightly above the national median but significantly trailing the state's top programs. University of Maryland-College Park and Towson University graduates earn $7,000-$8,000 more right out of the gate, while University of Maryland Global Campus grads see nearly $17,000 higher starting salaries. This earnings gap matters when you're carrying debt, and similar private institutions in Maryland suggest graduates here leave with about $26,156 in loans.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 sits in reasonable territory—you'd expect to carry debt equivalent to roughly 8.5 months of gross income. That's manageable compared to many programs, though the earnings ceiling appears relatively low for the field in this state. Communication degrees are versatile but competitive, and these peer program estimates suggest your student would enter the workforce earning less than peers from larger Maryland universities while carrying similar debt loads.

The key question is whether Washington Adventist's smaller environment and specific program approach justify the financial gap. If your student thrives in tight-knit settings or values the university's mission-driven culture, that trade-off might work. But if maximizing early career earning potential matters most, the state's public universities appear to deliver stronger returns in this major at lower cost.