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Major · Communication, Journalism & Related Programs

Learn to persuade, present, and make arguments that hold up

Speech Communication and Rhetoric covers human communication across formats — interpersonal, organizational, intercultural, and public. It combines theory with practice: rhetorical analysis alongside real speaking and listening. About 29,300 degrees are awarded annually across more than 812 colleges.

Schools offering
812
Annual completions
29,295
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$54k

About this major

Speech Communication and Rhetoric is built around a deceptively broad question: how does human communication work, and why does it persuade or fail to persuade? The curriculum spans rhetorical theory and criticism, interpersonal and organizational communication, argumentation, intercultural communication, and performance — the goal being that you understand not just how to communicate but how to analyze and critique communication as a social force. The CIP definition frames it as a scientific, humanistic, and critical study of communication across formats and contexts, which accurately describes the range: this major reads Aristotle alongside research on organizational behavior and political messaging.

The practical dimension is real but often less structured than students expect. You will give speeches and presentations, write analytically, and work through case studies in persuasion and advocacy. But this is not a media production program — you will not graduate with a podcast, a video portfolio, or a broadcast credential unless you build those out independently. What you develop is a framework for thinking about messages, audiences, and contexts that transfers across settings: law, policy, human resources, marketing, nonprofit work, and management all draw on the same underlying competency.

About 29,295 degrees are awarded annually across more than 812 colleges. Five-year median earnings for bachelor's completers sit around $54,754. The career destinations with the most direct connection to the major are public relations specialists at a $69,780 median wage and writers and authors at $72,270. PR managers reach $138,520 median but typically after significant experience. Broadcast announcing has historically been a path from this major but carries a projected employment decline of -5.5% — a structural industry shift that is worth naming directly.

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
Public relations specialists $70k +4.8% Bachelor's degree
Writers and authors $72k +3.6% Bachelor's degree
Public relations managers $139k +5.0% Bachelor's degree
Communications teachers, postsecondary $78k +2.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Media and communication workers, all other $72k +2.7% High school diploma or equivalent
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys $46k -5.5% Bachelor's 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 are genuinely interested in how language persuades and how audiences are constructed — if analyzing a political speech or a corporate apology feels like interesting work rather than just an assignment. The major rewards students who read analytically, write precisely, and are comfortable with the ambiguity of humanistic inquiry alongside the structure of communication research. If your goal is public relations, organizational communication, or policy-adjacent work, the bachelor's credential and the skill set it builds are relevant: bachelor's completers show median five-year earnings near $54,754, and the PR specialist path sits at a $69,780 median wage with modest but positive 4.8% projected growth.

Think twice if your primary goal is to work in broadcast or on-air media — the -5.5% projected decline in broadcast announcing reflects a structural contraction, not a temporary dip, and a degree in Speech Communication will not reverse that trend for you personally. Think twice also if you are primarily drawn to media production, content creation, or journalism as a craft: those skills require different coursework and are better served by Digital Communication, Radio and Television, or Journalism programs. And if you are deciding between this major and Communication, General — which covers much of the same ground with less rhetorical emphasis — the distinction is whether argumentation and persuasion theory are genuinely interesting to you or feel like academic overhead you would rather avoid.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Speech Communication and Rhetoric

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA 0 598 598
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH 0 433 433
James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA 0 426 426
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 0 362 362
California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA 0 357 357
California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA 0 351 351
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 346 346
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 0 304 304
San Diego State University San Diego, CA 0 300 300
Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ 0 297 297
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Communication, General

9,537 completions/yr

Journalism

8,274 completions/yr

Mass Communication/Media Studies

6,797 completions/yr

Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia

6,649 completions/yr

Radio and Television

4,611 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 Speech Communication and Rhetoric field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Speech Communication and Rhetoric worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Speech Communication and Rhetoric majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework spans rhetorical theory and criticism, argumentation and persuasion, interpersonal and organizational communication, intercultural communication, and performance studies. You will analyze speeches and public discourse, practice public speaking and listening, and work through frameworks for understanding how messages are constructed and received. Upper-division courses push into specialized areas — political communication, health communication, communication research methods, or media and technology. It is both analytical and practical: you read theory and you perform.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for Speech Communication?
The degree level matters here, though the gap is smaller than in some technical fields. Bachelor's graduates in this field report median five-year earnings around $54,754, while associate's graduates report about $44,404 — a difference of roughly $10,000. More importantly, the careers most directly associated with this major — public relations specialist at $69,780 median, public relations manager at $138,520, and writer at $72,270 — all list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential. An associate's may help you pivot or supplement existing skills, but the bachelor's is the standard pathway into professional-level communication roles.
What kinds of jobs do Speech Communication and Rhetoric graduates end up in?
Public relations is the clearest destination: PR specialists earn a $69,780 median wage with 4.8% projected growth; PR managers earn $138,520 but that title typically requires substantial experience. Writing and authorship is another common path at a $72,270 median. Communications teachers at the postsecondary level earn $77,800, but that requires graduate credentials beyond the bachelor's. Broadcast announcing is a recognized path from this major but carries a -5.5% projected employment decline — the industry is contracting. The field also funnels into organizational communication, marketing, human resources, and policy roles that do not appear in the career data here but draw on the same skill set.
How competitive is the job market for Speech Communication graduates?
Growth projections for the careers most directly associated with this major are modest — PR specialists at 4.8%, writers at 3.6%, and PR managers at 5%. All are near or slightly above the average for all occupations. The more serious concern is broadcast announcing at -5.5%: if that is your target, you are entering a contracting field. Annual completions of roughly 29,300 across 812 colleges is a substantial supply of graduates, which keeps entry-level competition real for the most visible roles. That said, communication skills translate broadly — graduates who are not tied to a specific job title tend to find more options than those who anchor to a single industry.
Is Speech Communication the right fit, or should I look at a related major?
Speech Communication and Rhetoric is the most theory-grounded option in this cluster, with a strong focus on rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and the study of communication as a discipline. If you want more applied media production or digital content creation, Digital Communication and Media (about 6,649 completions per year) is closer to that. If journalism and news reporting is the goal, Journalism (about 8,274 completions) is more targeted. If public relations is specifically your aim, a dedicated Public Relations/Image Management program (about 3,305 completions) maps more directly to that career. Communication, General (about 9,537 completions) offers similar flexibility with a broader, less rhetoric-focused frame. The choice mostly comes down to how much theoretical grounding in persuasion and discourse you want versus applied skills in a specific communication medium.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Speech Communication degree?
Five-year median earnings run about $53,987 across degree levels, and roughly $54,754 for bachelor's completers specifically. Those figures sit below the overall bachelor's degree median across all majors, which is worth acknowledging honestly. The higher-ceiling roles — PR managers at $138,520 and communications managers more broadly — take five to ten years of experience to reach and are competitive. Postsecondary teaching at $77,800 requires a graduate degree. The realistic early-career picture for most graduates is the $50,000–$70,000 range in PR, content, or communications coordinator roles, with upward movement tied to demonstrated results and industry specialization over time.