U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 90 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 57% 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 $25,172. College Scorecard.
Metropolitan State 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 Metropolitan State 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 | $15,238 | $71,161 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $16,656 | $77,784 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $16,659 | $77,798 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $18,994 | $88,702 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $21,905 | $102,296 | 4.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (19% 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 ($61,355) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,171 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 Metropolitan State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Metropolitan State University
- Acceptance rate: 99% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 44% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,705
- Full cost breakdown · all 47 majors · overview
Related majors at Metropolitan State University
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Writing$59,779
Metropolitan State University Communications questions
How much do Metropolitan State University Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Metropolitan State University earn a median $61,355 four years after graduating and $46,320 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Metropolitan State University Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Metropolitan State University is $34,933, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Metropolitan State University a good school for Communications in Minnesota?
On pay, Communications graduates of Metropolitan State University earn $61,355 four years out, $5,236 above the median for the same major across 17 Minnesota colleges ($56,119) and $7,072 above the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Metropolitan State University rank for Communications in Minnesota?
Of 17 Minnesota colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Metropolitan State University ranks 5th. 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: “Metropolitan State University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/metropolitan-state-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).