U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 144 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 26% 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 $37,684. College Scorecard.
CU 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 CU'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 | $14,231 | $60,624 | 2.3 years |
| $30–48k | $14,381 | $61,263 | 2.4 years |
| $48–75k | $18,828 | $80,207 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $26,915 | $114,658 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $34,818 | $148,325 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (58% 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 ($66,623) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,013 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 Colorado colleges
Every Colorado 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 Colorado Boulder | $66,623 | $17,500 | $25,346 | 74% |
| 2 | University of Denver | $63,374 | $24,500 | $36,131 | 76% |
| 3 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | $62,882 | $27,000 | $11,900 | 46% |
| 4 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | $61,434 | $24,647 | $21,279 | 67% |
| 5 | University of Northern Colorado | $56,520 | $24,939 | $17,760 | 51% |
| 6 | Colorado Mesa Universitybachelor's & associate | $54,717 | $23,036 | $15,103 | 41% |
| 7 | Colorado State University Pueblo | $51,721 | $22,824 | $10,051 | 40% |
| 8 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs | $50,692 | $19,500 | $15,788 | 47% |
| 9 | Western Colorado University | $47,426 | $23,500 | $16,425 | 51% |
| 10 | Regis University | $46,341 | — | $18,397 | 61% |
| 11 | Colorado Christian University | $44,245 | $26,000 | $29,500 | 64% |
1 more Colorado college offers Communications but has 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 CU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CU
- Acceptance rate: 78% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 74% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $69,738
- Full cost breakdown · all 68 majors · overview
Related majors at CU
- Public Relations and Advertising$74,779
- Journalism$57,079
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
CU Communications questions
How much do CU Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn a median $66,623 four years after graduating and $39,738 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do CU Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of University of Colorado Boulder is $17,500, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is CU a good school for Communications in Colorado?
On pay, Communications graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn $66,623 four years out, $11,005 above the median for the same major across 12 Colorado colleges ($55,618) and $12,340 above the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CU rank for Communications in Colorado?
Of 11 Colorado colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, University of Colorado Boulder ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $81,180 in the Boulder, CO 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: “University of Colorado Boulder Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).