ROI Major

Communication and Media Studies at Albertus Magnus College

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 09.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication and Media Studies degree from Albertus Magnus College earn a median salary of $49,582 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,003. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.7 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$33,556

Typical Career

$49,582

Top Performers

$68,957

Estimated break-even: 10.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$331

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,132. Most students can comfortably afford about a $331 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 18.2%
Educational Services 14.3%
Manufacturing 12.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$43,003

Nominal: $49,582 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

10.7 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $21,211 $35,666 $48,878
5 Years After Graduation $33,556 $49,582 $68,957
10 Years After Graduation $53,892 $69,727 $91,565

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $49,582 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $49,582 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $43,003 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of Communication and Media Studies at Albertus Magnus College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,666, which increases to $49,582 after five years and reaches $69,727 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $43,002.6 nationally, indicating that graduates may face higher living costs in Connecticut, where the cost of living index is 1.153 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (18.2%), Educational Services (14.3%), and Manufacturing (12.4%), suggesting a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.7 years, indicating a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the earnings potential is promising, the higher cost of living in Connecticut should be considered when evaluating the financial benefits of this degree.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Communication and Media Studies degree at Albertus Magnus College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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