U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 20% 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 $32,265. College Scorecard.
Communications at California colleges
Every California 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 | Santa Clara University | $84,206 | $18,500 | $50,062 | 88% |
| 2 | University of Southern California | $75,864 | $17,702 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $75,612 | $11,180 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $75,223 | $14,928 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 5 | Chapman University | $73,461 | $19,500 | $46,555 | 82% |
| 6 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $72,976 | $13,018 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 7 | University of California-Davis | $72,778 | $13,000 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 8 | Loyola Marymount University | $69,144 | $19,500 | $48,381 | 79% |
| 9 | University of San Diego | $68,913 | $25,000 | $30,365 | 84% |
| 10 | Sonoma State University | $68,833 | $17,129 | $12,885 | 58% |
| 11 | University of San Francisco | $68,592 | $23,250 | $41,431 | 70% |
| 12 | Woodbury University | $68,020 | — | $33,692 | 60% |
| 13 | University of California-San Diego | $67,302 | $14,568 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 14 | University of La Verne | $66,891 | $22,500 | $20,161 | 63% |
| 15 | Saint Mary's College of California | $64,456 | $23,250 | $30,378 | 70% |
| 16 | San Francisco State University | $63,731 | $15,000 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 17 | Westmont College | $62,535 | $23,250 | $29,053 | 70% |
| 18 | California Lutheran University | $61,653 | $21,897 | $30,109 | 70% |
| 19 | San Diego State University | $61,389 | $15,675 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 20 | California Baptist University | $60,883 | $25,126 | $26,285 | 62% |
| 21 | University of the Pacific | $60,666 | $20,485 | $25,447 | 69% |
| 22 | California State University-San Marcos | $59,842 | $16,500 | $10,229 | 55% |
| 23 | California State University-Sacramento | $59,404 | $15,000 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 24 | California State University-Channel Islands | $59,332 | $13,750 | $9,849 | 51% |
| 25 | California State University-Chico | $58,391 | $17,098 | $14,480 | 63% |
| 26 | California State University-Long Beach | $58,137 | $13,953 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton | $58,082 | $13,000 | $6,555 | 70% |
| 28 | California State University-East Bay | $57,708 | $18,250 | $9,320 | 48% |
| 29 | The Master's University and Seminary | $57,507 | $22,250 | $32,647 | 68% |
| 30 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | $57,478 | $17,043 | $8,615 | 43% |
| 31 | California State University-Northridge | $57,138 | $13,999 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 32 | Concordia University-Irvine | $56,388 | $25,000 | $28,115 | 58% |
| 33 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $56,278 | $14,267 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 34 | California State University-Stanislaus | $54,007 | $17,125 | $6,067 | 53% |
| 35 | Biola University | $53,781 | $21,937 | $31,495 | 68% |
| 36 | California State University-Fresno | $51,788 | $15,000 | $7,000 | 57% |
| 37 | California State University-Bakersfield | $50,989 | — | $5,652 | 50% |
| 38 | California State University-San Bernardino | $49,171 | $15,750 | $4,564 | 55% |
| 39 | Point Loma Nazarene University | $47,092 | $21,500 | $38,729 | 77% |
20 more California 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 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Acceptance rate: 31% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 86% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $90,768
- Full cost breakdown · all 77 majors · overview
Related majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Journalism$70,829
- Graphic Communications$79,432
- Writing—
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Communications questions
How much do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo earn a median $75,223 four years after graduating and $62,183 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $14,928, about 20% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Where does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo rank for Communications in California?
Of 39 California colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 4th. The highest is Santa Clara University at $84,206.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $71,190 in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 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: “California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).