Home Schools Brigham Young University Communication and Media Studies
Communications · Communication and Media Studies Rank #43 of 613

Communication and Media Studiesat Brigham Young University

Graduates earn $46,747/yr in their first year — about 33.0% above the national Communication and Media Studies average. Base-case 10-year earnings $510K; scenarios range from $473K to $513K depending on AI disruption.

Provo, UT Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
51 AVERAGE
52
Optimistic
43
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,747
1-year post-graduation
ROI
17.0x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$510K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Brigham Young University

While a communications degree often leads to varied outcomes, BYU's program punches well above its weight for a clear reason: its powerful, built-in professional network. Your access to the global Latter-day Saint community and a fiercely loyal alumni base creates direct pipelines into competitive roles. This is especially true in Utah's "Silicon Slopes" tech corridor, where companies from Adobe to Qualtrics actively recruit graduates for well-paid corporate communications, marketing, and public relations positions that outpace traditional media jobs. The program's emphasis on ethics and clean-cut professionalism also makes its graduates highly sought after in corporate settings. To maximize this advantage, your key task is to actively engage with this network early. Don't just wait for career fairs; start informational interviews with alumni in your target industries by your sophomore year.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$473K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple18.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$510K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple19.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$513K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple19.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Brigham Young University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Communication and Media Studies graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Public relations managers
+5.0% 10-yr growth · 6,600 openings/yr
$138,520/yr
High
2
Fundraising managers
+4.2% 10-yr growth · 3,600 openings/yr
$123,480/yr
High
3
Communications teachers, postsecondary
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 2,700 openings/yr
$77,800/yr
Moderate
4
Editors
+0.6% 10-yr growth · 9,800 openings/yr
$75,260/yr
High
5
Writers and authors
+3.6% 10-yr growth · 13,400 openings/yr
$72,270/yr
Very High
6
Media and communication workers, all other
+2.7% 10-yr growth · 3,000 openings/yr
$71,770/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Communication and Media Studies

How Brigham Young University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
61
DW Score
$62K
1-yr earn
14.1x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
50
DW Score
$62K
1-yr earn
2.4x
ROI
Ashford University
CA · Private for-profit
47
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
8.2x
ROI
CUNY Graduate School and University Center
NY · Public
61
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
19.7x
ROI
Boston College
MA · Private nonprofit
46
DW Score
$55K
1-yr earn
2.0x
ROI
Also at Brigham Young University

Other top programs at Brigham Young University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Brigham Young University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Communication and Media Studies offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Communication and Media Studies trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Communication and Media Studies at Brigham Young University

How does Brigham Young University's Communication and Media Studies program score?

This program scores 51/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Communication and Media Studies graduates.

How vulnerable is Communication and Media Studies to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Communication and Media Studies careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 55% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.