Communication and Media Studies at York College of Pennsylvania

York College's Communication and Media Studies program sits squarely in the middle of Pennsylvania's offerings—at the 40th percentile statewide—but that middle ground comes with below-national earnings. First-year graduates earn $31,789, about $3,000 less than the national median for this major. While the debt load of $26,000 keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio reasonable at 0.82, Pennsylvania has dozens of programs that deliver stronger earning outcomes without necessarily requiring more borrowing.

The earnings picture doesn't dramatically improve with time—graduates see only 9% growth over four years, reaching $34,620. That's still $4,400 below what Penn and Villanova grads earn right out of school, and even programs like Messiah deliver $10,000 more by year four. York's 94% admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest it's an accessible option, but accessibility shouldn't mean accepting earnings that trail most competitors.

The small sample size here is important: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. For a parent, that means you're betting on limited evidence. If your student is drawn to communications at York for fit or affordability reasons, understand they'll likely need to hustle harder—through internships, networking, or strategic job placement—to match the earning power of graduates from Pennsylvania's stronger programs.