Communication and Media Studiesat Utah Valley University
Graduates earn $44,202/yr in their first year — about 26.0% above the national Communication and Media Studies average. Base-case 10-year earnings $557K; scenarios range from $507K to $566K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Utah Valley University
While the raw earnings data is impressive, it’s the local economy that tells the real story. Your UVU degree places you directly in the heart of Utah's "Silicon Slopes," a booming tech hub with an insatiable need for marketing, public relations, and corporate communications professionals. Companies like Adobe, Qualtrics, and countless startups are constantly competing for talent, creating a strong local job market that pulls graduates into well-paying roles right after graduation. This program likely has deep connections and a strong recruiting pipeline into these firms.
Given the high AI risk for many traditional communications roles, your key to long-term success will be specialization. Focus your coursework and internships on the most human-centric skills: strategic client relations, crisis management, or complex B2B tech marketing. These are areas where nuanced judgment and relationship-building will keep you indispensable.
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 Utah Valley University'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 Utah Valley University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Utah Valley University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Utah Valley 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 →Frequently asked about Communication and Media Studies at Utah Valley University
How does Utah Valley University's Communication and Media Studies program score?
This program scores 57/100, 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.
Why does Utah Valley University rank so high for Communication and Media Studies?
The #10 ranking out of 613 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.