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Major · Communication & Journalism

Understand who shapes what the public sees, hears, and believes

Mass Communication and Media Studies examines how media institutions operate, how content reaches audiences, and how that content shapes culture and behavior. About 6,800 degrees are awarded annually across 352 colleges, offering programs at both the associate's and bachelor's level.

Schools offering
352
Annual completions
6,797
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$54k

About this major

Mass Communication and Media Studies is a program built around understanding how media systems work — not just how to operate within them. The CIP definition frames it as analysis and criticism of media institutions and texts, how audiences experience content, and the roles media plays in producing and transforming culture. Coursework typically covers communications regulation and policy, media history, media economics, visual and media literacy, and the psychology of media consumption. It is less a vocational credential than an analytical framework for the media environment.

The major tends to attract students who are genuinely curious about how information moves through society — people who read a news story and want to know who decided to run it, why, and what effect it has. Programs differ considerably in emphasis: some lean into critical theory and cultural studies; others are more applied, incorporating writing, production, or research methods. The distinction matters when you're choosing a school, because the same CIP code can describe very different curricula.

On the career side, the landscape is mixed. Public relations managers, one of the field's higher-ceiling destinations, post a $138,520 median wage — but that path requires specific positioning toward communications strategy and management. Editors ($75,260 median) and writers and authors ($72,270) are more commonly associated with media studies backgrounds, while the journalist path — historically a direct destination — shows a -3.9% projected decline in employment. About 6,797 degrees are awarded annually across 352 colleges, making this a moderately sized major with significant overlap with adjacent programs in the communication family.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Writers and authors $72k +3.6% Bachelor's degree
Editors $75k +0.6% Bachelor's degree
Public relations managers $139k +5.0% Bachelor's degree
News analysts, reporters, and journalists $60k -3.9% Bachelor's degree
Communications teachers, postsecondary $78k +2.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$54k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$44k

Bachelor's

$55k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find the mechanics of how information shapes public opinion genuinely interesting — if you're drawn to understanding the economic and structural forces behind what gets published, broadcast, or amplified. You may also fit well here if you're considering a path in PR or corporate communications and want a broader critical framework than a narrowly applied program would offer; public relations managers in this field earn a $138,520 median wage, and the analytical background from a media studies program can be an asset in strategy-facing roles. If you know the bachelor's is your target, the earnings data supports that bet: bachelor's completers report five-year median earnings roughly $10,000 above associate's completers in this field.

Think twice if your primary goal is working as a journalist or news reporter — the employment projection for that occupation is -3.9%, reflecting real contraction in newsroom hiring, and a Mass Communication degree alone won't reverse that headwind. Think twice also if you expect a heavily production-focused curriculum; this is more of an analytical major than a media production major, and students who want hands-on media creation often find Radio and Television or a dedicated journalism program more satisfying. And if you're comparing this to Speech Communication and Rhetoric (29,295 annual completions) or Communication, General (9,537 completions), note that those larger programs lead to much the same set of career outcomes — the choice often comes down to how much critical media theory you want baked into your coursework.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Mass Communication/Media Studies

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN 0 348 348
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 0 336 336
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA 0 298 298
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 0 226 226
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ 0 181 181
Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 0 178 178
CUNY Hunter College New York, NY 0 134 134
University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA 0 116 116
North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC 0 108 108
Temple University Philadelphia, PA 0 106 106
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Speech Communication and Rhetoric

29,295 completions/yr

Communication, General

9,537 completions/yr

Journalism

8,274 completions/yr

Radio and Television

4,611 completions/yr

Creative Writing

3,403 completions/yr

Public Relations/Image Management

3,305 completions/yr

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

2,997 completions/yr

Communication and Media Studies, Other

1,503 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Mass Communication/Media Studies field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Mass Communication/Media Studies worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Mass Communication and Media Studies majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework blends media analysis, communication theory, and cultural criticism. You'll examine how media institutions are structured economically and legally, how content is produced and distributed, and how audiences interpret messages. Upper-division work typically includes media history, media law and policy, visual literacy, and electives in specific platforms or formats. Some programs emphasize writing and production; others lean heavily on research and criticism. The CIP definition explicitly includes media economics, communications regulation, and the psychology of media consumption — so expect a mix of analytical and applied work depending on the program.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for Mass Communication?
The degree level makes a measurable difference here. Bachelor's completers in this field report median five-year earnings around $54,754, while associate's completers report about $44,404 — a gap of roughly $10,000. More importantly, most of the specific career destinations listed for this major — writers and authors, editors, public relations managers — list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential. An associate's can serve as a transfer stepping stone toward a four-year program, but it doesn't fully open the field's career options on its own.
What kinds of jobs do Mass Communication graduates end up in?
The field's career map runs wide but uneven in compensation. Public relations managers earn the highest median wage at $138,520 with a 5% growth projection, but that path typically involves specializing in PR strategy, not media analysis. Editors sit at $75,260 median (0.6% growth), communications postsecondary teachers at $77,800 (though that path requires a doctoral degree), and writers and authors at $72,270 with a 3.6% growth projection. News analysts, reporters, and journalists — one of the most recognizable destinations — post a $60,280 median wage with a -3.9% decline projection, a signal that the traditional newsroom pathway is contracting.
How competitive is the job market for Mass Communication and Media Studies graduates?
It depends heavily on which path you pursue. Public relations shows 5% projected growth and strong compensation, but it draws competition from Business and PR-specific majors as well. Traditional journalism is contracting — the -3.9% decline projection for news analysts and reporters reflects ongoing industry consolidation and digital disruption. Writing and editing roles show modest growth at 3.6% and near-flat at 0.6%, respectively. About 6,797 degrees are awarded annually in this specific major, with Speech Communication (29,295 completions) and Communication, General (9,537 completions) representing much larger pools of candidates competing for the same roles.
Is Mass Communication the right fit, or should I consider a related major?
Mass Communication sits on the analytical end of the communication family — it's more about studying media than making it. If you want to focus on reporting and news specifically, Journalism (8,274 completions annually) is a more targeted credential for that path. If public relations is your goal, Public Relations/Image Management (3,305 completions) is more direct. If you're drawn to broadcasting and production, Radio and Television (4,611 completions) addresses that more practically. Speech Communication and Rhetoric (29,295 completions) is the largest adjacent major and leads to many of the same career outcomes. The career destinations overlap significantly, so the choice often depends on whether you want more theory and criticism or more applied production.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Mass Communication degree?
Five-year median earnings for this major run about $53,987 across degree levels, with bachelor's completers landing around $54,754. Those figures are honest but modest — they reflect the actual earnings mix of graduates at that career stage, including many in mid-level writing, editing, and communications roles. The high end of the career table, public relations managers at $138,520, represents a ceiling that requires moving into management after several years of experience, not a typical entry-level landing point. Entry-level wages in journalism and editing tend to sit well below the occupational medians reported here.