Bachelor's · Pembroke, North Carolina
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Pembroke worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 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 8.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $34,682
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $44,967
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $25,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $45k (likely $45k – $60k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $8k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 8.7 years (likely 5.8–15.5)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$136k (likely −$209k – −$75k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$9k (likely −$142k – $135k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 44%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- ≤ 20% / ≤ 20%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Communication and Media Studies at other schools
🎬 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward media & storytelling majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Seminar
IB Higher Level
- Language A: Literature HL or Language and Literature HL
- Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$80,579
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$78,674
- Public Administration (Master's)$75,582
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$73,686
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$69,372
- Chemistry (Bachelor's)$63,288
- Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's)$62,355
- Social Work (Master's)$59,853
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$55,233
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$55,200
- Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)$53,779
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$53,022
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in North Carolina
- Wake Forest University$77,984
- Elon University$73,750
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$70,240
- Queens University of Charlotte$65,985
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh$62,039
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte$60,407
- East Carolina University$59,432
- Appalachian State University$55,307
- University of North Carolina Wilmington$54,315
- High Point University$51,328