Best Communication & Media Schools (2026): 16 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Communication & Media, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Communication & Media graduate earns $28,401/yr across 16 schools.
BLS projects 1.8% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 83 annual job openings per related program area.
All Communication & Media Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH · Communication & Media |
52
46–55 |
$32,284/yr | 55.6x |
| 2 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Communication & Media |
50
43–54 |
$42,321/yr | 27.8x |
| 3 |
University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College
Blue Ash, OH · Communication & Media |
48
44–51 |
$38,767/yr | 26.7x |
| 4 |
Northampton County Area Community College
Bethlehem, PA · Communication & Media |
46
39–49 |
$30,471/yr | 37.8x |
| 5 |
Rochester Community and Technical College
Rochester, MN · Communication & Media |
46
42–48 |
$27,798/yr | 42.7x |
| 6 |
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Communication & Media |
45
39–47 |
$38,767/yr | 13.3x |
| 7 |
Monroe Community College
Rochester, NY · Communication & Media |
43
34–46 |
$27,123/yr | 36.3x |
| 8 |
Nassau Community College
Garden City, NY · Communication & Media |
43
36–46 |
$29,016/yr | 30.8x |
| 9 |
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
New York, NY · Communication & Media |
41
35–45 |
$26,437/yr | 33.4x |
| 10 |
Onondaga Community College
Syracuse, NY · Communication & Media |
42
37–45 |
$29,915/yr | 23.8x |
| 11 |
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Communication & Media |
41
34–45 |
$24,794/yr | 38.0x |
| 12 |
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, NY · Communication & Media |
39
31–43 |
$23,307/yr | 34.0x |
| 13 |
County College of Morris
Randolph, NJ · Communication & Media |
32
24–35 |
$15,905/yr | 41.4x |
| 14 |
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL · Communication & Media |
38
31–41 |
$28,447/yr | 13.5x |
| 15 |
UCNJ Union College of Union County NJ
Cranford, NJ · Communication & Media |
37
29–41 |
$21,484/yr | 32.1x |
| 16 |
Dutchess Community College
Poughkeepsie, NY · Communication & Media |
34
26–38 |
$17,585/yr | 32.9x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
| State | Programs | Avg Earnings | Avg TSW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 6 | $25,564/yr | 31 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | $32,529/yr | 37 |
| Ohio | 3 | $36,606/yr | 38 |
| New Jersey | 2 | $18,695/yr | 29 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $27,798/yr | 36 |
| Florida | 1 | $28,447/yr | 28 |
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Communication & Media Schools ranks 16 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.