U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 60 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 48% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $58,569. College Scorecard.
Bethel University Communications: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Bethel University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,218 | $92,205 | 5.9 years |
| $30–48k | $22,279 | $92,458 | 5.9 years |
| $48–75k | $20,071 | $83,295 | 5.3 years |
| $75–110k | $24,963 | $103,596 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $33,155 | $137,593 | 8.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (64% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Communications graduates 4 years after graduating ($53,868) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,684 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications at Minnesota colleges
Every Minnesota college we cover that reports Communications graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gustavus Adolphus College | $69,423 | $27,000 | $22,900 | 77% |
| 2 | University of St Thomas | $64,917 | $27,000 | $29,155 | 76% |
| 3 | College of Saint Benedict | $64,430 | $27,000 | $26,640 | 77% |
| 4 | Augsburg University | $63,850 | $27,000 | $23,873 | 52% |
| 5 | Metropolitan State University | $61,355 | $34,933 | $16,863 | 44% |
| 6 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | $60,023 | $24,182 | $18,743 | 65% |
| 7 | Hamline University | $59,557 | $27,000 | $20,744 | 60% |
| 8 | Saint Cloud State University | $56,388 | $25,000 | $13,529 | 40% |
| 9 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | $56,119 | $26,000 | $19,139 | 54% |
| 10 | St Catherine University | $55,058 | $30,750 | $19,764 | 61% |
| 11 | Crown College | $54,958 | — | $26,672 | 45% |
| 12 | Bethel University | $53,868 | $25,937 | $28,556 | 71% |
| 13 | Winona State University | $53,456 | $25,250 | $17,503 | 57% |
| 14 | Minnesota State University Moorhead | $52,838 | $23,774 | $17,997 | 57% |
| 15 | Concordia College at Moorhead | $52,248 | $25,250 | $24,902 | 61% |
| 16 | Bemidji State University | $48,877 | $20,875 | $15,261 | 48% |
| 17 | University of Minnesota-Crookston | $45,916 | $25,288 | $12,212 | 50% |
10 more Minnesota colleges offer Communications but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Communications graduates
Public relations specialist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Fundraisers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Bethel University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Bethel University
- Acceptance rate: 88% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 71% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,764
- Full cost breakdown · all 52 majors · overview
Related majors at Bethel University
- Journalism—
- Writing—
Bethel University Communications questions
How much do Bethel University Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Bethel University earn a median $53,868 four years after graduating and $40,019 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Bethel University Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Bethel University is $25,937, about 48% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Bethel University a good school for Communications in Minnesota?
On pay, Communications graduates of Bethel University earn $53,868 four years out, $2,251 below the median for the same major across 17 Minnesota colleges ($56,119) and $415 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Bethel University rank for Communications in Minnesota?
Of 17 Minnesota colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Bethel University ranks 12th. The highest is Gustavus Adolphus College at $69,423.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $73,780 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area and $74,750 nationally. Others include fundraisers and editors.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bethel University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bethel-university-mn/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).