U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 166 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 42% 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 $21,590. College Scorecard.
Portland 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 Portland 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 | $7,655 | $33,835 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $7,752 | $34,264 | 1.5 years |
| $48–75k | $8,981 | $39,696 | 1.8 years |
| $75–110k | $12,993 | $57,429 | 2.5 years |
| $110k+ | $19,112 | $84,475 | 3.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (35% 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 ($59,232) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,683 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 Oregon colleges
Every Oregon 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 Oregon | $70,532 | $16,500 | $22,182 | 72% |
| 2 | Willamette University | $70,412 | $26,000 | $25,121 | 71% |
| 3 | Oregon State University | $61,096 | $21,740 | $19,604 | 70% |
| 4 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $61,096 | $21,740 | $18,048 | 56% |
| 5 | Portland State University | $59,232 | $24,582 | $9,552 | 53% |
| 6 | Eastern Oregon University | $56,013 | $29,801 | $17,148 | 43% |
| 7 | Linfield University | $54,091 | $27,000 | $26,536 | 70% |
| 8 | Lewis & Clark College | $53,026 | $20,500 | $36,013 | 75% |
| 9 | Western Oregon University | $49,630 | $21,316 | $17,237 | 47% |
| 10 | Southern Oregon University | $49,511 | $23,584 | $16,732 | 43% |
7 more Oregon 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 Portland State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Portland State University
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 53% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $57,906
- Full cost breakdown · all 72 majors · overview
Related majors at Portland State University
- Writing—
Portland State University Communications questions
How much do Portland State University Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Portland State University earn a median $59,232 four years after graduating and $35,143 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Portland State University Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Portland State University is $24,582, about 42% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Portland State University a good school for Communications in Oregon?
On pay, Communications graduates of Portland State University earn $59,232 four years out, $1,610 above the median for the same major across 10 Oregon colleges ($57,622) and $4,949 above the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Portland State University rank for Communications in Oregon?
Of 10 Oregon colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Portland State University ranks 5th. The highest is University of Oregon at $70,532.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $78,380 in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 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: “Portland State University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/portland-state-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).