Bachelor's · College Station, Texas

Is Communication and Media Studies at Texas A&M University-College Station worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 4.5 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $56,151; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $69,316; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $15,000; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $91k (likely $91k – $119k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $33k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in TX; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 4.5 years (likely 4.0–5.4); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $49k (likely −$18k – $96k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $444k (likely $319k – $575k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 85%; 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 / ≤ 5%; 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 Texas A&M University-College Station

Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's)$285,291
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate certificate)$234,334
Petroleum Engineering (Master's)$192,907
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$183,813
Dentistry (First professional)$155,946
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$147,453
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First professional)$146,650
Nuclear Engineering (Doctoral)$146,422
Computer Science (Master's)$142,377
Veterinary Medicine (First professional)$140,787
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's)$135,516
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations (Master's)$133,017

Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Texas

The University of Texas at Austin$72,210
Texas Christian University$63,531
The University of Texas Permian Basin$60,805
Trinity University$59,494
Southwestern University$59,372
Baylor University$58,915
The University of Texas at El Paso$58,451
Texas Tech University$58,196
Southern Methodist University$57,636
University of Houston-Downtown$56,903