University of Southern California (USC) Communications: Salary, Debt & Careers

Earnings, 4 years after graduating

$75,864

U.S. median for this major: $54,283.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after

$47,651

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation

$17,702

About 23% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays

$32,740 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $90,300. College Scorecard.

Communications at California colleges

Every California 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	Santa Clara University	$84,206	$18,500	$50,062	88%
2	University of Southern California	$75,864	$17,702	$32,740	92%
3	University of California-Berkeley	$75,612	$11,180	$13,481	93%
4	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	$75,223	$14,928	$16,665	86%
5	Chapman University	$73,461	$19,500	$46,555	82%
6	University of California-Santa Barbara	$72,976	$13,018	$16,109	83%
7	University of California-Davis	$72,778	$13,000	$14,741	86%
8	Loyola Marymount University	$69,144	$19,500	$48,381	79%
9	University of San Diego	$68,913	$25,000	$30,365	84%
10	Sonoma State University	$68,833	$17,129	$12,885	58%
11	University of San Francisco	$68,592	$23,250	$41,431	70%
12	Woodbury University	$68,020	—	$33,692	60%
13	University of California-San Diego	$67,302	$14,568	$12,470	86%
14	University of La Verne	$66,891	$22,500	$20,161	63%
15	Saint Mary's College of California	$64,456	$23,250	$30,378	70%
16	San Francisco State University	$63,731	$15,000	$12,278	50%
17	Westmont College	$62,535	$23,250	$29,053	70%
18	California Lutheran University	$61,653	$21,897	$30,109	70%
19	San Diego State University	$61,389	$15,675	$15,364	76%
20	California Baptist University	$60,883	$25,126	$26,285	62%
21	University of the Pacific	$60,666	$20,485	$25,447	69%
22	California State University-San Marcos	$59,842	$16,500	$10,229	55%
23	California State University-Sacramento	$59,404	$15,000	$9,338	56%
24	California State University-Channel Islands	$59,332	$13,750	$9,849	51%
25	California State University-Chico	$58,391	$17,098	$14,480	63%
26	California State University-Long Beach	$58,137	$13,953	$10,440	69%
27	California State University-Fullerton	$58,082	$13,000	$6,555	70%
28	California State University-East Bay	$57,708	$18,250	$9,320	48%
29	The Master's University and Seminary	$57,507	$22,250	$32,647	68%
30	California State University-Dominguez Hills	$57,478	$17,043	$8,615	43%
31	California State University-Northridge	$57,138	$13,999	$7,021	57%
32	Concordia University-Irvine	$56,388	$25,000	$28,115	58%
33	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	$56,278	$14,267	$11,531	68%
34	California State University-Stanislaus	$54,007	$17,125	$6,067	53%
35	Biola University	$53,781	$21,937	$31,495	68%
36	California State University-Fresno	$51,788	$15,000	$7,000	57%
37	California State University-Bakersfield	$50,989	—	$5,652	50%
38	California State University-San Bernardino	$49,171	$15,750	$4,564	55%
39	Point Loma Nazarene University	$47,092	$21,500	$38,729	77%

20 more California colleges offer Communications but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Communications graduates

Public relations specialist

Los Angeles area$79,860

California$85,030

U.S.$74,750

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Fundraisers

Los Angeles area$77,550

California$79,710

U.S.$72,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Editors

Los Angeles area$100,050

California$98,030

U.S.$77,920

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 USC, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About USC

Acceptance rate: 10% · admissions
Graduation rate: 92% within 6 years
Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $92,498
Full cost breakdown · all 89 majors · overview

Related majors at USC

USC Communications questions

How much do USC Communications graduates earn?

Communications graduates of University of Southern California earn a median $75,864 four years after graduating and $47,651 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.

How much debt do USC Communications graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of University of Southern California is $17,702, about 23% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Where does USC rank for Communications in California?

Of 39 California colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, University of Southern California ranks 2nd. The highest is Santa Clara University at $84,206.

What jobs do Communications graduates get?

A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $79,860 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area and $74,750 nationally. Others include fundraisers and editors.

Is USC the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing USC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free report Check my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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 Southern California Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-california/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).

University of Southern California Communications: earnings, debt & careers