# American University: Communications (bachelor's)

Washington, DC. IPEDS 131159, CIP 09.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/american-university/majors/communications

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $36,980
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $67,863 (U.S. median for this major: $54,283 across 639 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $22,611 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in DC: 3 of 3 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the DC median for this major (3 colleges, $73,073): -$5,210
- Versus the U.S. median: +$13,580

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.09 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $67,863 minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,233 | $95,023 | 3.2 years |
| 30-48k | $20,444 | $83,616 | 2.8 years |
| 48-75k | $26,035 | $106,483 | 3.6 years |
| 75-110k | $30,063 | $122,958 | 4.1 years |
| 110k+ | $53,673 | $219,523 | 7.4 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Communications at DC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | $79,112 | $25,000 | $36,586 | 84% |
| The Catholic University of America | $73,073 | $27,000 | $29,561 | 80% |
| American University | $67,863 | $22,611 | $41,943 | 76% |

## Careers
- Public relations specialist (SOC 27-3030): median wage $101,680 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $102,740 DC, $74,750 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.8% by 2035
- Fundraisers (SOC 13-1131): median wage $80,610 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $80,840 DC, $72,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage $84,800 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, $83,920 DC, $77,920 U.S.; U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).