U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 33 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 47% 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 $47,321. College Scorecard.
OBU 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 OBU'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 | $15,207 | $62,957 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $15,954 | $66,050 | 3.7 years |
| $48–75k | $18,007 | $74,549 | 4.1 years |
| $75–110k | $19,151 | $79,285 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $26,281 | $108,803 | 6.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (62% 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 ($50,369) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,970 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 Arkansas colleges
Every Arkansas 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 | University of Arkansas | $56,969 | $21,165 | $18,209 | 71% |
| 2 | Ouachita Baptist University | $50,369 | $23,521 | $22,409 | 61% |
| 3 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $46,743 | $23,717 | $17,248 | 42% |
| 4 | Arkansas Tech Universitymostly 2-year | $45,385 | $24,500 | $12,970 | 49% |
| 5 | Arkansas State University | $44,327 | $21,250 | $12,366 | 55% |
| 6 | University of Central Arkansas | $36,336 | $27,000 | $16,511 | 54% |
| 7 | University of Arkansas-Fort Smithbachelor's & associate | $35,760 | $23,000 | $10,574 | 38% |
9 more Arkansas 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 OBU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About OBU
- Acceptance rate: 68% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 61% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,673
- Full cost breakdown · all 55 majors · overview
Related majors at OBU
- Writing—
OBU Communications questions
How much do OBU Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Ouachita Baptist University earn a median $50,369 four years after graduating and $34,574 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do OBU Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Ouachita Baptist University is $23,521, about 47% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is OBU a good school for Communications in Arkansas?
On pay, Communications graduates of Ouachita Baptist University earn $50,369 four years out, $4,984 above the median for the same major across 7 Arkansas colleges ($45,385) and $3,914 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does OBU rank for Communications in Arkansas?
Of 7 Arkansas colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Ouachita Baptist University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Arkansas at $56,969.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $65,000 in Arkansas 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: “Ouachita Baptist University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ouachita-baptist-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).