U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 35 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 53% 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 $50,865. College Scorecard.
Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown 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 | $17,776 | $72,171 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $17,113 | $69,479 | 5.1 years |
| $48–75k | $20,967 | $85,126 | 6.2 years |
| $75–110k | $25,064 | $101,760 | 7.4 years |
| $110k+ | $31,198 | $126,664 | 9.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($49,514) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,717 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania 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 | University of Pennsylvania | $114,266 | $15,637 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 2 | Villanova University | $81,497 | $26,456 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $69,573 | $27,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 4 | Washington & Jefferson College | $68,066 | $27,000 | $25,002 | 70% |
| 5 | La Salle University | $61,347 | $26,924 | $19,409 | 57% |
| 6 | Ursinus College | $61,017 | $27,000 | $30,536 | 73% |
| 7 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $59,929 | $26,990 | $29,689 | 79% |
| 8 | Muhlenberg College | $58,473 | $24,250 | $28,905 | 82% |
| 9 | Eastern University | $58,371 | $26,000 | $26,662 | 54% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $55,505 | $25,875 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington | $55,505 | $25,875 | $18,305 | 28% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | $55,505 | $25,875 | $16,448 | 23% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | $55,505 | $25,875 | $22,213 | 17% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver | $55,505 | $25,875 | $17,418 | 22% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks | $55,505 | $25,875 | $24,356 | 32% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $55,505 | $25,875 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | $55,505 | $25,875 | $22,585 | 26% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly | $55,505 | $25,875 | $14,596 | 39% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania State University | $55,505 | $25,875 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny | $55,505 | $25,875 | $15,521 | 19% |
| 21 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | $55,505 | $25,875 | $19,047 | 16% |
| 22 | Juniata College | $54,716 | $27,000 | $23,988 | 74% |
| 23 | Allegheny College | $54,366 | $27,000 | $22,940 | 73% |
| 24 | Temple University | $54,283 | $24,880 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 25 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | $54,173 | $26,000 | $21,331 | 54% |
| 26 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $53,559 | $26,000 | $18,134 | 43% |
| 27 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $52,825 | $27,000 | $15,699 | 54% |
| 28 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $52,762 | $26,000 | $19,608 | 66% |
| 29 | Duquesne University | $50,794 | — | $37,730 | 77% |
| 30 | Albright College | $50,531 | $27,000 | $20,024 | 51% |
| 31 | Saint Vincent College | $50,341 | $27,000 | $23,510 | 69% |
| 32 | King's College | $49,930 | $27,000 | $23,093 | 60% |
| 33 | Elizabethtown College | $49,514 | $26,000 | $26,598 | 76% |
| 34 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $48,330 | $26,000 | $20,787 | 58% |
| 35 | Pennsylvania Western University | $48,116 | — | $18,256 | 52% |
| 36 | Holy Family University | $47,047 | — | $13,143 | 61% |
| 37 | York College of Pennsylvania | $46,976 | $26,000 | $18,556 | 64% |
| 38 | Neumann University | $46,653 | $27,375 | $27,804 | 54% |
| 39 | Waynesburg University | $45,152 | $27,000 | $18,235 | 66% |
| 40 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $43,582 | $27,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 41 | Chestnut Hill College | $43,323 | $27,000 | $27,970 | 49% |
| 42 | Geneva College | $42,458 | — | $25,890 | 61% |
| 43 | Chatham University | $42,204 | $19,500 | $29,954 | 63% |
| 44 | Arcadia University | $40,740 | $27,000 | $29,466 | 67% |
| 45 | Lycoming College | $33,916 | $27,000 | $19,140 | 60% |
30 more Pennsylvania 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 Elizabethtown College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Elizabethtown College
- Acceptance rate: 78% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 76% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $62,399
- Full cost breakdown · all 60 majors · overview
Related majors at Elizabethtown College
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Journalism—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Writing—
Elizabethtown College Communications questions
How much do Elizabethtown College Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Elizabethtown College earn a median $49,514 four years after graduating and $31,003 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Elizabethtown College Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Elizabethtown College is $26,000, about 53% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Elizabethtown College a good school for Communications in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Communications graduates of Elizabethtown College earn $49,514 four years out, $5,027 below the median for the same major across 46 Pennsylvania colleges ($54,541) and $4,769 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Elizabethtown College rank for Communications in Pennsylvania?
Of 45 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Elizabethtown College ranks 33rd. The highest is University of Pennsylvania at $114,266.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $51,230 in the Lancaster, PA 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: “Elizabethtown College Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/elizabethtown-college/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).