U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 26 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 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 $22,383. College Scorecard.
USI 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 USI'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 | $7,484 | $32,331 | 4.7 years |
| $30–48k | $7,818 | $33,774 | 4.9 years |
| $48–75k | $12,748 | $55,071 | 8.0 years |
| $75–110k | $17,720 | $76,550 | 11.1 years |
| $110k+ | $18,777 | $81,117 | 11.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (38% 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 ($42,453) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,919 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana 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 | DePauw University | $69,228 | $27,000 | $22,264 | 75% |
| 2 | Saint Mary's College | $66,335 | $27,000 | $25,292 | 69% |
| 3 | Purdue University | $65,517 | $18,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 4 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $63,855 | $21,500 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 5 | Hanover College | $58,227 | $27,000 | $21,829 | 67% |
| 6 | Indiana University-East | $56,141 | $24,462 | $8,134 | 40% |
| 7 | Holy Cross College | $52,231 | — | $26,728 | 73% |
| 8 | Indiana University-Northwest | $51,863 | — | $5,130 | 37% |
| 9 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $51,397 | $20,500 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 10 | Ball State University | $51,186 | $21,550 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 11 | Valparaiso University | $50,325 | $27,000 | $18,578 | 70% |
| 12 | Purdue University Northwest | $49,326 | $28,000 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 13 | Indiana University-Southeast | $48,931 | $20,500 | $7,888 | 39% |
| 14 | University of Indianapolis | $48,711 | $27,000 | $21,602 | 56% |
| 15 | Indiana State University | $48,185 | $25,000 | $10,873 | 43% |
| 16 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $46,619 | $25,289 | $13,171 | 36% |
| 17 | Indiana University-Kokomo | $46,136 | — | $3,968 | 46% |
| 18 | Indiana University-South Bend | $44,703 | $26,000 | $8,653 | 40% |
| 19 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $42,453 | $17,860 | $12,923 | 48% |
16 more Indiana 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 USI, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About USI
- Acceptance rate: 96% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 48% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $47,605
- Full cost breakdown · all 53 majors · overview
Related majors at USI
- Public Relations and Advertising$54,422
- Journalism—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$44,197
USI Communications questions
How much do USI Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of University of Southern Indiana earn a median $42,453 four years after graduating and $29,059 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do USI Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of University of Southern Indiana is $17,860, about 42% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is USI a good school for Communications in Indiana?
On pay, Communications graduates of University of Southern Indiana earn $42,453 four years out, $8,839 below the median for the same major across 20 Indiana colleges ($51,292) and $11,830 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does USI rank for Communications in Indiana?
Of 19 Indiana colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, University of Southern Indiana ranks 19th. The highest is DePauw University at $69,228.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $63,170 in the Evansville, IN 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 Southern Indiana Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-indiana/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).