{"@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/university-of-maine/majors/communications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":161253,"cip4":"09.01","school_slug":"university-of-maine","major_slug":"communications"},"school":{"name":"University of Maine","city":"Orono","state":"ME","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maine","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-maine.json"},"major":{"name":"Communications","area":"Communications & Media","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":37192,"median_earnings_4yr":58306,"median_debt":26057,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.447,"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":null,"us":{"colleges_reporting":639,"median_earnings_4yr":54283,"difference":4023},"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":4.34,"finished_in_4_years":0.4,"finished_within_6_years":0.5639,"cohort":2330,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":36661,"geography":"ME","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":1366,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (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":58306,"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":12642,"cost_to_finish":54866,"payback_years":2.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.5 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":13280,"cost_to_finish":57635,"payback_years":2.7,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.7 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":14631,"cost_to_finish":63499,"payback_years":2.9,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.9 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":18508,"cost_to_finish":80325,"payback_years":3.7,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.7 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":22018,"cost_to_finish":95558,"payback_years":4.4,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"4.4 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. 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In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":1,"of":2,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":161253,"name":"University of Maine","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":58306,"median_debt":26057,"net_price_average":17510,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.549,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maine/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":161554,"name":"University of Southern Maine","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":53033,"median_debt":22623,"net_price_average":13596,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.404,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-maine/majors/communications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"27-3030","title":"Public relations specialist","median_wage_metro":53610,"metro":"Bangor, ME","median_wage_state":62450,"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":60400,"metro":"Bangor, ME","median_wage_state":66790,"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":48020,"metro":"Bangor, ME","median_wage_state":50180,"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":17510,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":12642,"30-48k":13280,"48-75k":14631,"75-110k":18508,"110k+":22018},"acceptance_rate":0.966,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.549,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}