{"@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/washburn-university/majors/communications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":156082,"cip4":"09.01","school_slug":"washburn-university","major_slug":"communications"},"school":{"name":"Washburn University","city":"Topeka","state":"KS","control":"Public","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/washburn-university","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/washburn-university.json"},"major":{"name":"Communications","area":"Communications & Media","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":39932,"median_earnings_4yr":46497,"median_debt":21875,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.47,"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":"KS","colleges_reporting":8,"median_earnings_4yr":51688,"difference":-5191},"us":{"colleges_reporting":639,"median_earnings_4yr":54283,"difference":-7786},"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":4.49,"finished_in_4_years":0.2541,"finished_within_6_years":0.4138,"cohort":795,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":34216,"geography":"KS","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":2987,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (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":46497,"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":20310,"cost_to_finish":91192,"payback_years":7.4,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"7.4 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":9693,"cost_to_finish":43522,"payback_years":3.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.5 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":10758,"cost_to_finish":48303,"payback_years":3.9,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"3.9 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":13922,"cost_to_finish":62510,"payback_years":5.1,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"5.1 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":15472,"cost_to_finish":69469,"payback_years":5.7,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"5.7 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":6,"of":8,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":155317,"name":"University of Kansas","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":60258,"median_debt":22250,"net_price_average":18059,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.688,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-kansas/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":155627,"name":"Ottawa University-Ottawa","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":59445,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":27963,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.279,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/ottawa-university-ottawa/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":155636,"name":"Ottawa University-Kansas City","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":59445,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":null,"graduation_rate_6yr":null,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/ottawa-university-kansas-city"},{"ipeds_unitid":155399,"name":"Kansas State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":52603,"median_debt":24945,"net_price_average":19406,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.711,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/kansas-state-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":156125,"name":"Wichita State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":50773,"median_debt":25159,"net_price_average":13194,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.51,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/wichita-state-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":156082,"name":"Washburn University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":46497,"median_debt":21875,"net_price_average":15280,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.53,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/washburn-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":155681,"name":"Pittsburg State University","mostly_two_year":true,"median_earnings_4yr":45940,"median_debt":23250,"net_price_average":15784,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.566,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/pittsburg-state-university/majors/communications"},{"ipeds_unitid":155025,"name":"Emporia State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":45003,"median_debt":26000,"net_price_average":16261,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.561,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/emporia-state-university/majors/communications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"27-3030","title":"Public relations specialist","median_wage_metro":62410,"metro":"Topeka, KS","median_wage_state":64860,"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":60020,"metro":"Topeka, KS","median_wage_state":64820,"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":63560,"metro":"Topeka, KS","median_wage_state":61920,"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":15280,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":20310,"30-48k":9693,"48-75k":10758,"75-110k":13922,"110k+":15472},"acceptance_rate":null,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.53,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}