# Portland State University: Communications (bachelor's)

Portland, OR. IPEDS 209807, CIP 09.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/portland-state-university/majors/communications

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $35,143
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $59,232 (U.S. median for this major: $54,283 across 639 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,582 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in OR: 5 of 10 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the OR median for this major (10 colleges, $57,622): +$1,610
- Versus the U.S. median: +$4,949

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.42 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $59,232 minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

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

## Communications at OR colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon | $70,532 | $16,500 | $22,182 | 72% |
| Willamette University | $70,412 | $26,000 | $25,121 | 71% |
| Oregon State University | $61,096 | $21,740 | $19,604 | 70% |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $61,096 | $21,740 | $18,048 | 56% |
| Portland State University | $59,232 | $24,582 | $9,552 | 53% |
| Eastern Oregon University | $56,013 | $29,801 | $17,148 | 43% |
| Linfield University | $54,091 | $27,000 | $26,536 | 71% |
| Lewis & Clark College | $53,026 | $20,500 | $36,013 | 75% |
| Western Oregon University | $49,630 | $21,316 | $17,237 | 47% |
| Southern Oregon University | $49,511 | $23,584 | $16,732 | 43% |

## Careers
- Public relations specialist (SOC 27-3030): median wage $78,380 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, $74,900 OR, $74,750 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.8% by 2035
- Fundraisers (SOC 13-1131): median wage $71,340 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, $64,080 OR, $72,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage $75,430 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, $71,540 OR, $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).