{"@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-maryland-college-park/majors/communications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":163286,"cip4":"09.01","school_slug":"university-of-maryland-college-park","major_slug":"communications"},"school":{"name":"University of Maryland-College Park","city":"College Park","state":"MD","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park.json"},"major":{"name":"Communications","area":"Communications & Media","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":43696,"median_earnings_4yr":74402,"median_debt":20000,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.269,"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":"MD","colleges_reporting":9,"median_earnings_4yr":60957,"difference":13445},"us":{"colleges_reporting":639,"median_earnings_4yr":54283,"difference":20119},"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":4.16,"finished_in_4_years":0.7574,"finished_within_6_years":0.885,"cohort":5173,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":36731,"geography":"MD","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":5206,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (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":74402,"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":2962,"cost_to_finish":12322,"payback_years":0.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"under 1 year"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":6051,"cost_to_finish":25172,"payback_years":0.7,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"under 1 year"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":10273,"cost_to_finish":42736,"payback_years":1.1,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.1 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":18250,"cost_to_finish":75920,"payback_years":2,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.0 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":26691,"cost_to_finish":111035,"payback_years":2.9,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.9 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":1,"of":9,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":163286,"name":"University of Maryland-College Park","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":74402,"median_debt":20000,"net_price_average":15678,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.886,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":163046,"name":"Loyola University Maryland","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":71948,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":30574,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.792,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/loyola-university-maryland/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":164270,"name":"McDaniel College","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":65411,"median_debt":25000,"net_price_average":21916,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.633,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/mcdaniel-college/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":164076,"name":"Towson University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":63292,"median_debt":20309,"net_price_average":17413,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.695,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/towson-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":163268,"name":"University of Maryland-Baltimore County","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":60957,"median_debt":24389,"net_price_average":16467,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.7,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-maryland-baltimore-county/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":163462,"name":"Mount St. Mary's University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":57669,"median_debt":26312,"net_price_average":22655,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.654,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/mount-st-marys-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":163851,"name":"Salisbury University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":56048,"median_debt":22250,"net_price_average":17743,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.682,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/salisbury-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":162654,"name":"Goucher College","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":52752,"median_debt":26000,"net_price_average":22470,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.573,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/goucher-college/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":162584,"name":"Frostburg State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":48762,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":16715,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.497,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/frostburg-state-university/majors/communications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"27-3030","title":"Public relations specialist","median_wage_metro":101680,"metro":"Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV","median_wage_state":79560,"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":80610,"metro":"Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV","median_wage_state":79780,"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":84800,"metro":"Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV","median_wage_state":75550,"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":15678,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":2962,"30-48k":6051,"48-75k":10273,"75-110k":18250,"110k+":26691},"acceptance_rate":0.448,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.886,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}