Communication and Media Studiesat University of Phoenix-Arizona
Graduates earn $47,919/yr in their first year — about 36.0% above the national Communication and Media Studies average. Base-case 10-year earnings $514K; scenarios range from $476K to $517K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Phoenix-Arizona
The strong earnings for this program likely reflect the student body more than the degree itself. University of Phoenix primarily serves working adults and career-changers, not traditional 18-year-old freshmen. You'll be learning alongside established professionals who are using this degree to formalize existing skills or check a box for a promotion into management. They aren't starting from entry-level; they're leveraging their prior experience to move into higher-paying roles in corporate communications, fundraising, or PR within Phoenix's growing tech and healthcare sectors.
This isn't a typical campus experience focused on networking and internships. Success here depends entirely on your own drive. Your key action should be to actively use your coursework to build a professional portfolio that demonstrates tangible skills, as your degree's brand recognition will be less valuable than a proven track record.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Phoenix-Arizona's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Communication and Media Studies
How University of Phoenix-Arizona stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Phoenix-Arizona
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Phoenix-Arizona, 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 →Frequently asked about Communication and Media Studies at University of Phoenix-Arizona
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Communication and Media Studies at University of Phoenix-Arizona?
A score of 52/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Communication and Media Studies field.
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 $476,017 in decade earnings vs $517,015 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.