U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 350 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 39% 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 $23,867. College Scorecard.
ECU 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 ECU'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 | $10,046 | $43,700 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $11,699 | $50,891 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $14,904 | $64,832 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $20,417 | $88,814 | 3.4 years |
| $110k+ | $23,028 | $100,172 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% 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 ($59,432) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,916 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 ECU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ECU
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 63% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $55,146
- Full cost breakdown · all 68 majors · overview
Related majors at ECU
- Writing$43,647
ECU Communications questions
How much do ECU Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of East Carolina University earn a median $59,432 four years after graduating and $37,813 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do ECU Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of East Carolina University is $23,250, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is ECU a good school for Communications in North Carolina?
On pay, Communications graduates of East Carolina University earn $59,432 four years out, $13,680 above the median for the same major across 24 North Carolina colleges ($45,752) and $5,149 above the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ECU rank for Communications in North Carolina?
Of 24 North Carolina colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, East Carolina University ranks 7th. 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 $68,960 in the Greenville, NC 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: “East Carolina University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-carolina-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).