# Wake Forest University: Communications (bachelor's)

Winston-Salem, NC. IPEDS 199847, CIP 09.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/wake-forest-university/majors/communications

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $42,055
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $77,984 (U.S. median for this major: $54,283 across 639 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $22,250 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in NC: 1 of 24 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the NC median for this major (24 colleges, $45,752): +$32,232
- Versus the U.S. median: +$23,701

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.05 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $77,984 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $6,525 | $26,426 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $6,331 | $25,641 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $7,647 | $30,970 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $12,771 | $51,723 | 1.2 years |
| 110k+ | $58,081 | $235,228 | 5.3 years |

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

## Communications at NC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University | $77,984 | $22,250 | $28,719 | 89% |
| Elon University | $73,750 | $23,250 | $41,555 | 84% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $70,240 | $15,500 | $11,655 | 91% |
| Queens University of Charlotte | $65,985 | $27,000 | $30,857 | 61% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $62,039 | $22,324 | $17,303 | 85% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $60,407 | $24,050 | $15,435 | 69% |
| East Carolina University | $59,432 | $23,250 | $15,739 | 63% |
| Appalachian State University | $55,307 | $21,500 | $16,836 | 75% |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | $54,315 | $21,500 | $20,109 | 71% |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | $51,247 | $25,125 | $27,426 | 49% |
| North Carolina A & T State University | $48,804 | $27,643 | $10,846 | 57% |
| Catawba College | $48,181 | $26,000 | $17,879 | 47% |
| Western Carolina University | $43,322 | $18,500 | $13,315 | 60% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $43,231 | $25,000 | $10,965 | 56% |
| North Carolina Central University | $43,230 | $29,662 | $15,359 | 42% |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | $42,743 | $23,125 | $12,250 | 55% |
| University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $41,864 | $29,663 | $10,260 | 44% |
| Montreat College | $41,209 | not reported | $27,061 | 50% |
| Wingate University | $41,013 | not reported | $20,748 | 46% |
| Johnson C Smith University | $40,600 | $31,000 | $20,894 | 34% |
| Fayetteville State University | $38,325 | $29,417 | $7,892 | 39% |
| Gardner-Webb University | $35,982 | not reported | $17,674 | 55% |
| Winston-Salem State University | $34,786 | $27,096 | $13,479 | 47% |
| Shaw University | $28,545 | $42,500 | $16,512 | 22% |

## Careers
- Public relations specialist (SOC 27-3030): median wage $61,580 Winston-Salem, NC, $67,230 NC, $74,750 U.S.; U.S. jobs 1.8% by 2035
- Fundraisers (SOC 13-1131): median wage $75,440 Winston-Salem, NC, $66,100 NC, $72,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage $63,130 Winston-Salem, NC, $73,740 NC, $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).