Home Schools Concordia University-Saint Paul Communication and Media Studies
Communications · Communication and Media Studies Rank #205 of 613

Communication and Media Studiesat Concordia University-Saint Paul

Graduates earn $46,327/yr in their first year — about 32.0% above the national Communication and Media Studies average. Base-case 10-year earnings $508K; scenarios range from $472K to $510K depending on AI disruption.

Saint Paul, MN Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
41 AVERAGE
41
Optimistic
33
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,327
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.6x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$508K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Concordia University-Saint Paul

Concordia’s location in the Twin Cities is a huge factor behind these strong outcomes. You’re graduating into a robust metropolitan economy, home to an unusual concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters like Target, Best Buy, and 3M, plus major healthcare systems. These large corporations have substantial in-house communications, public relations, and marketing departments that actively recruit local talent. The program likely has established internship pipelines directly into this corporate ecosystem, giving you a significant head start. Because the field faces disruption from AI, your key piece of advice is to use those internship opportunities to specialize. Don't just be a generalist; focus on an in-demand area like internal corporate communications, investor relations, or technical writing. This specialized experience will make you far more valuable than a generic degree.

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
$472K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score33/100
Earnings Multiple4.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$508K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple5.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$510K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple5.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Concordia University-Saint Paul'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 Concordia University-Saint Paul 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 Concordia University-Saint Paul

Other top programs at Concordia University-Saint Paul

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Concordia University-Saint Paul, 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 Concordia University-Saint Paul

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Communication and Media Studies at Concordia University-Saint Paul?

A score of 41/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Communication and Media Studies. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Communication and Media Studies careers?

With 55% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $471,874 in decade earnings vs $510,419 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.