Question 1

How do I choose between the majors in this concentration?

Accepted Answer

Start by asking what kind of output you want to produce. Journalism trains you to report facts for public audiences; Public Relations/Image Management (150 colleges, 3,305 completions) trains you to shape how organizations are perceived. Speech Communication and Rhetoric, available at all 812 colleges, is the broadest option and suits students who want maximum flexibility or plan to combine communication with another field. Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia (355 colleges, 6,649 completions) is the right pick if your target is content creation, social media management, or digital marketing. The choice narrows further once you check which specializations your target colleges actually offer — several of these majors are concentrated at a subset of institutions.

Question 2

What's the difference between Speech Communication and Rhetoric and Journalism?

Accepted Answer

Speech Communication and Rhetoric is the family's generalist flagship — it is offered at all 812 colleges in the data, produced 29,295 completions, and prepares students for a wide range of communication roles without anchoring to a specific medium or industry. Journalism, by contrast, is built around a professional practice: reporting, verifying, and publishing information for public audiences. It is offered at 442 colleges with 8,274 completions, and its top associated careers skew toward writers and authors rather than the public relations specialists who dominate the Speech Communication graduate pathway. If you want to work in newsrooms, investigative outlets, or digital journalism, Journalism is the sharper credential; if you want employer-facing communication, PR, or management, Speech Communication or one of the other specialized majors typically serves you better.

Question 3

What do graduates from this concentration typically earn?

Accepted Answer

The median earnings across the Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs family sit at approximately $52,925 — a solid midpoint that masks wide variation by specialization and industry. Public relations specialists, the top career associated with several majors including Speech Communication and Public Relations/Image Management, earn a median wage of $69,780. Training and development specialists, a less obvious but common landing spot for Organizational Communication graduates, earn $65,850. The ceiling rises steeply for communication professionals who move into management: the Managers, all other category — where Digital Communication graduates often land — reports a median wage of $136,550. Early career earnings tend to be lower and are heavily influenced by industry: a journalist at a local outlet earns far less than a communications director at a tech company.

Question 4

Which majors in this family have the most job-market specificity?

Accepted Answer

Public Relations/Image Management (150 colleges, 3,305 completions) and Communication Management and Strategic Communications (35 colleges, 1,438 completions) are the most employer-legible credentials in the family — both signal a specific professional role rather than a general skillset. Advertising (108 colleges, 3,875 completions) similarly maps to a defined industry with established agency hiring pipelines. Organizational Communication, General (87 colleges, 1,262 completions) is narrower still and targets internal corporate communication roles, with training and development specialists as its top associated career at $65,850. By contrast, Mass Communication/Media Studies (352 colleges, 6,797 completions) is more academic in orientation and tends to be a stronger fit for graduate school or research-adjacent roles than direct industry placement.

Question 5

Is a degree in Communication worth it given the range of salaries?

Accepted Answer

The answer depends almost entirely on which major you choose and which industry you enter. The family median of $52,925 is respectable for a four-year degree, but the distribution is wide. Students who pair a communication major with hard skills — data analysis, video production, SEO, or a second major in business — consistently outperform those who graduate with communication credentials alone. Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia (355 colleges, 6,649 completions) is the sub-field best positioned for current labor-market demand, as its top career category touches management-level roles with a median above $136,550. The family has 84,428 total completions annually across 812 colleges, which means the credential is common; differentiating yourself through a specialized concentration, a relevant internship, or a portfolio of published work matters more here than in most fields.

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Sorted by popularity

Speech Communication and Rhetoric

Communication, General

Journalism

Mass Communication/Media Studies

Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia

Radio and Television

Advertising

Public Relations/Image Management

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

Communication and Media Studies, Other

Communication Management and Strategic Communications

Organizational Communication, General

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other

Sports Communication

Broadcast Journalism

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other

Journalism, Other

Health Communication

Publishing

Technical and Scientific Communication

Photojournalism

Political Communication

International and Intercultural Communication

Science/Health/Environmental Journalism

Common questions