{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-12","license":"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).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/troy-university/majors/communications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":102368,"cip4":"09.01","school_slug":"troy-university","major_slug":"communications"},"school":{"name":"Troy University","city":"Troy","state":"AL","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/troy-university","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/troy-university.json"},"major":{"name":"Communications","area":"Communications & Media","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":33154,"median_earnings_4yr":47978,"median_debt":23250,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.485,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"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"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":639,"median_earnings_4yr":54283,"median_debt":25000},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"AL","colleges_reporting":10,"median_earnings_4yr":45644,"difference":2334},"us":{"colleges_reporting":639,"median_earnings_4yr":54283,"difference":-6305},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.47,"finished_in_4_years":0.2816,"finished_within_6_years":0.4567,"cohort":1861,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":31484,"geography":"AL","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":5335,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":47978,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":12656,"cost_to_finish":56572,"payback_years":3.4,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.4 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":12042,"cost_to_finish":53828,"payback_years":3.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.3 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":14321,"cost_to_finish":64015,"payback_years":3.9,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.9 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":18406,"cost_to_finish":82275,"payback_years":5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"5.0 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":22139,"cost_to_finish":98961,"payback_years":6,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"6.0 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":4,"of":10,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":100751,"name":"The University of Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":61548,"median_debt":25000,"net_price_average":22420,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.734,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-alabama/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":100858,"name":"Auburn University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":56636,"median_debt":20675,"net_price_average":24323,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.82,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/auburn-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":102234,"name":"Spring Hill College","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":49227,"median_debt":null,"net_price_average":20449,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.521,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/spring-hill-college"},{"ipeds_unitid":102368,"name":"Troy University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":47978,"median_debt":23250,"net_price_average":16527,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.503,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/troy-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":102094,"name":"University of South Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":46828,"median_debt":26000,"net_price_average":17648,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.527,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":100663,"name":"University of Alabama at Birmingham","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":44461,"median_debt":26000,"net_price_average":18749,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.642,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":101480,"name":"Jacksonville State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":43769,"median_debt":24750,"net_price_average":14279,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.547,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/jacksonville-state-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":100830,"name":"Auburn University at Montgomery","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":43317,"median_debt":27500,"net_price_average":13224,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.326,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/auburn-university-at-montgomery/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":101879,"name":"University of North Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":40334,"median_debt":21000,"net_price_average":12170,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.549,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-alabama/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":100724,"name":"Alabama State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":38566,"median_debt":32750,"net_price_average":20435,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.303,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/alabama-state-university/majors/communications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"27-3030","title":"Public relations specialist","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":61710,"median_wage_us":74750,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":1.8,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"13-1131","title":"Fundraisers","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":60120,"median_wage_us":72550,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":5.5,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"27-3041","title":"Editors","median_wage_metro":null,"metro":null,"median_wage_state":63330,"median_wage_us":77920,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":-1.1,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":16527,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":12656,"30-48k":12042,"48-75k":14321,"75-110k":18406,"110k+":22139},"acceptance_rate":0.96,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.503,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}