Bachelor's · New Paltz, New York
Is Communication and Media Studies at State University of New York at New Paltz 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 in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 5.3 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $42,956
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $65,445
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $18,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $83k (likely $83k – $108k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $28k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NY
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 5.3 years (likely 4.3–6.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$9k (likely −$88k – $70k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $327k (likely $176k – $516k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 69%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- 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 State University of New York at New Paltz
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$117,454
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$103,020
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$89,504
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$84,763
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's)$73,525
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$73,337
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's)$71,542
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Master's)$70,107
- Special Education and Teaching (Master's)$68,520
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$67,626
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Master's)$67,113
- Marketing (Bachelor's)$64,993
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in New York
- Cornell University$88,463
- Fordham University$77,244
- Marist University$74,726
- Manhattan University$74,471
- Hobart William Smith Colleges$73,650
- St Lawrence University$72,839
- CUNY Graduate School and University Center$72,564
- Syracuse University$70,106
- CUNY City College$69,948
- Pace University$69,876