U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 21 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 54% 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 $49,516. College Scorecard.
Catawba College 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 Catawba College'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 | $13,618 | $56,379 | 3.8 years |
| $30–48k | $17,495 | $72,429 | 4.9 years |
| $48–75k | $15,412 | $63,806 | 4.4 years |
| $75–110k | $17,440 | $72,202 | 4.9 years |
| $110k+ | $24,420 | $101,099 | 6.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (45% 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 ($48,181) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,665 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 North Carolina colleges
Every North Carolina college we cover that reports Communications graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake Forest University | $77,984 | $22,250 | $28,719 | 89% |
| 2 | Elon University | $73,750 | $23,250 | $41,555 | 84% |
| 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $70,240 | $15,500 | $11,655 | 91% |
| 4 | Queens University of Charlotte | $65,985 | $27,000 | $30,857 | 61% |
| 5 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $62,039 | $22,324 | $17,303 | 85% |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $60,407 | $24,050 | $15,435 | 69% |
| 7 | East Carolina University | $59,432 | $23,250 | $15,739 | 63% |
| 8 | Appalachian State University | $55,307 | $21,500 | $16,836 | 75% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | $54,315 | $21,500 | $20,109 | 71% |
| 10 | Johnson & Wales University-Charlottebachelor's & associate | $51,247 | $25,125 | $27,426 | 49% |
| 11 | North Carolina A & T State University | $48,804 | $27,643 | $10,846 | 57% |
| 12 | Catawba College | $48,181 | $26,000 | $17,879 | 47% |
| 13 | Western Carolina University | $43,322 | $18,500 | $13,315 | 60% |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $43,231 | $25,000 | $10,965 | 56% |
| 15 | North Carolina Central University | $43,230 | $29,662 | $15,359 | 42% |
| 16 | University of North Carolina Asheville | $42,743 | $23,125 | $12,250 | 54% |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $41,864 | $29,663 | $10,260 | 44% |
| 18 | Montreat College | $41,209 | — | $27,061 | 50% |
| 19 | Wingate University | $41,013 | — | $20,748 | 46% |
| 20 | Johnson C Smith University | $40,600 | $31,000 | $20,894 | 34% |
| 21 | Fayetteville State University | $38,325 | $29,417 | $7,892 | 38% |
| 22 | Gardner-Webb University | $35,982 | — | $17,674 | 55% |
| 23 | Winston-Salem State University | $34,786 | $27,096 | $13,479 | 47% |
| 24 | Shaw University | $28,545 | $42,500 | $16,512 | 22% |
16 more North Carolina 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 Catawba College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Catawba College
- Acceptance rate: 75% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 47% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,793
- Full cost breakdown · all 36 majors · overview
Related majors at Catawba College
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Writing—
Catawba College Communications questions
How much do Catawba College Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Catawba College earn a median $48,181 four years after graduating and $32,323 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Catawba College Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Catawba College is $26,000, about 54% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Catawba College a good school for Communications in North Carolina?
On pay, Communications graduates of Catawba College earn $48,181 four years out, $2,429 above the median for the same major across 24 North Carolina colleges ($45,752) and $6,102 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Catawba College rank for Communications in North Carolina?
Of 24 North Carolina colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Catawba College ranks 12th; among the 23 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 11th. The highest is Wake Forest University at $77,984.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $75,190 in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 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: “Catawba College Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/catawba-college/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).