Bachelor's · Gunnison, Colorado
Is Communication and Media Studies at Western Colorado University worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 13.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $39,180
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $50,941
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $24,531
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $71k (likely $71k – $96k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $7k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CO
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 13.7 years (likely 6.7–20+)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$224k (likely −$325k – −$110k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$115k (likely −$323k – $124k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 48%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Communication and Media Studies at other schools
Other majors at Western Colorado University
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$74,959
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$72,533
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's)$67,308
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$63,922
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$61,876
- Education, General (Master's)$57,638
- Sociology (Bachelor's)$57,359
- Biology, General (Bachelor's)$50,954
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's)$49,170
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's)$48,109
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's)$47,828
- Psychology, General (Bachelor's)$47,401
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Colorado
- University of Colorado Boulder$66,623
- University of Denver$63,374
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$62,882
- Colorado State University Global$62,743
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins$61,434
- University of Northern Colorado$56,520
- Colorado Mesa University$54,717
- Colorado State University Pueblo$51,721
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs$50,692
- Regis University$46,341