Bachelor's · River Falls, Wisconsin
Is Communication and Media Studies at University of Wisconsin-River Falls 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 7.2 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $44,459
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $54,939
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $19,875
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $62k (likely $62k – $81k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $14k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in WI
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.2 years (likely 4.9–11.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$120k (likely −$197k – −$41k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $72k (likely −$86k – $247k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 58%
- 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 / ≤ 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 Wisconsin-River Falls
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$127,239
- Physics (Bachelor's)$85,638
- Computer Systems Analysis (Bachelor's)$76,951
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$73,583
- Agricultural Engineering (Bachelor's)$71,715
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$65,509
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$62,742
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$62,733
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's)$62,481
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$62,241
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's)$61,902
- Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's)$61,411
Communication and Media Studies at other schools in Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh$64,103
- University of Wisconsin-Madison$61,270
- Marquette University$60,482
- Ottawa University-Milwaukee$59,445
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire$58,043
- Mount Mary University$56,763
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse$56,470
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee$55,697
- Carthage College$55,654
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater$55,152