Which state pays radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's graduates the most?

Florida, where the median program pays its graduates $32,703 in their first year, the highest of 8 state rankings. Georgia is next, at $31,994.

Which radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's program pays the most?

Georgia Tech in Georgia reports the highest first-year pay of the 127 programs ranked here, $76,507. Its median federal debt is $28,350.

How much debt do radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $24,250 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 78% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Radio, TV, and Digital Media (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

127 programs report first-year pay
8 state rankings
Bachelor's in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $29,633 in their first year and $47,705 five years after. Florida has the highest state median ($32,703), and California the lowest ($25,707). The median program leaves its graduates with $24,250 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$29,633Across 127 programs

Median pay after 5 years$47,705Across 123 programs

Median federal debt$24,250Across 126 programs

Debt-to-earnings78%Across 122 programs

All 127 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Georgia TechAtlanta, GA · public	$76,507	$79,452	$91,748	$28,350	37%
2	RITRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$71,549	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	38%
3	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$50,938	Not adjusted	$81,064	$24,250	48%
4	Purdue GlobalWest Lafayette, IN · public	$48,015	Not adjusted	Not reported	$46,125	96%
5	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$47,666	$44,167	$69,066	$21,500	45%
6	Fordham UniversityBronx, NY · private nonprofit	$45,931	$42,560	Not reported	$23,230	51%
7	Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville, PA · private nonprofit	$45,286	$46,413	$65,149	$27,000	60%
8	UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	$43,038	$44,343	$55,801	$21,302	49%
9	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$41,247	Not adjusted	$60,816	$21,521	52%
10	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$41,107	$42,353	Not reported	$18,500	45%
11	University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$40,361	Not adjusted	$47,683	$24,013	59%
12	SCADSavannah, GA · private nonprofit	$40,139	Not adjusted	$64,724	$27,000	67%
13	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$39,030	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,937	64%
14	Rogers StateClaremore, OK · public	$38,684	$44,038	Not reported	$22,985	59%
15	TCUFort Worth, TX · private nonprofit	$38,678	Not adjusted	$53,297	$22,500	58%
16	Southeastern UniversityLakeland, FL · private nonprofit	$38,260	$36,997	Not reported	$25,000	65%
17	Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ · private nonprofit	$38,230	$35,136	$61,208	$27,000	71%
18	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$37,556	Not adjusted	$69,161	$27,000	72%
19	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$37,386	$38,522	$51,410	$26,725	71%
20	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$37,225	Not adjusted	$58,649	$23,750	64%
21	Saint Edward's UniversityAustin, TX · private nonprofit	$36,708	$37,821	$71,684	$24,000	65%
22	Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	$36,517	$32,981	$39,894	$13,000	36%
23	University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · public	$36,324	$41,389	$49,552	$19,604	54%
24	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$35,981	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	75%
25	FIUMiami, FL · public	$35,827	$34,644	Not reported	$11,180	31%
26	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$35,720	Not adjusted	$53,311	Not reported	Not reported
27	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$35,263	$34,099	$64,374	$19,500	55%
28	University of Southern IndianaEvansville, IN · public	$34,685	$37,164	$41,547	Not reported	Not reported
29	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$34,676	$35,727	$64,355	$24,341	70%
30	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$34,506	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,250	67%
31	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$33,941	Not adjusted	$59,326	$21,500	63%
32	Elon UniversityElon, NC · private nonprofit	$33,894	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,196	65%
33	Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA · private nonprofit	$33,821	$31,605	Not reported	$18,250	54%
34	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$33,788	$32,611	$68,439	$23,375	69%
34	University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD · public	$33,788	$32,192	Not reported	$28,750	85%
36	University of La VerneLa Verne, CA · private nonprofit	$33,773	$30,503	$53,828	Not reported	Not reported
37	Dallas Baptist UniversityDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$33,619	$34,638	$49,992	$21,500	64%
38	Cedarville UniversityCedarville, OH · private nonprofit	$33,554	Not adjusted	$38,743	$15,250	45%
39	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$33,178	$32,083	$57,845	$17,916	54%
40	Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · public	$32,808	$30,658	Not reported	$22,975	70%
41	Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL · private nonprofit	$32,742	Not adjusted	$48,446	$27,000	82%
42	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$32,662	Not adjusted	$51,242	$26,000	80%
43	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$32,556	$33,809	$60,906	$25,000	77%
44	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$32,416	$30,292	$53,821	$20,700	64%
45	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$32,227	$31,163	$65,909	$18,500	57%
46	The New SchoolNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$32,169	$29,808	Not reported	$22,375	70%
47	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$32,118	$34,414	$43,808	$23,443	73%
48	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$31,994	$33,226	Not reported	$27,683	87%
49	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$31,977	$32,947	$46,714	$21,858	68%
50	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$31,911	Not adjusted	$47,815	$24,823	78%
51	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$31,699	$34,168	$37,905	$26,000	82%
52	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$31,546	$32,503	$50,880	$24,250	77%
53	Arkansas StateJonesboro, AR · public	$31,324	$36,031	$39,096	$22,937	73%
54	West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX · public	$30,615	$31,543	$44,812	$17,750	58%
55	Western Connecticut StateDanbury, CT · public	$30,582	$29,516	$50,247	$25,000	82%
56	Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL · public	$30,437	$29,432	$49,816	$21,946	72%
57	Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$30,355	Not adjusted	$58,974	$23,921	79%
58	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$30,241	$28,021	$48,482	$23,665	78%
59	IU South BendSouth Bend, IN · public	$30,190	$32,348	Not reported	$22,625	75%
60	North Central CollegeNaperville, IL · private nonprofit	$30,167	$30,180	Not reported	$27,000	90%
61	Youngstown StateYoungstown, OH · public	$30,089	$32,433	$40,787	$26,250	87%
62	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$30,036	$29,059	$52,443	$22,746	76%
63	Troy UniversityTroy, AL · public	$29,917	Not adjusted	$43,105	$26,000	87%
64	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$29,633	$27,235	$65,566	$25,425	86%
65	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$29,405	$31,695	Not reported	$27,000	92%
66	Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	$29,388	$26,543	$44,124	$22,813	78%
67	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$29,205	$30,353	$45,968	$27,000	92%
68	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$29,112	$29,836	$53,336	$26,000	89%
69	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$29,086	$31,351	$46,521	$25,000	86%
70	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$28,892	$29,768	$55,238	$23,044	80%
71	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$28,753	$25,969	$62,463	$17,683	61%
72	University of Valley ForgePhoenixville, PA · private nonprofit	$28,751	Not adjusted	$35,851	$27,000	94%
73	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$28,719	$30,956	$58,784	$25,000	87%
74	Evangel UniversitySpringfield, MO · private nonprofit	$28,656	Not adjusted	$45,562	$27,000	94%
75	Chicago StateChicago, IL · public	$28,643	$28,655	Not reported	$38,434	134%
76	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$28,559	$26,463	$46,805	$25,822	90%
77	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$28,508	$30,546	$49,597	$22,959	81%
78	Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH · private nonprofit	$28,270	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,642	91%
79	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$28,215	$31,295	$42,148	$24,897	88%
80	University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO · public	$28,146	$30,992	$43,459	$27,125	96%
81	Capital UniversityColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$28,045	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
82	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$28,041	Not adjusted	$44,736	Not reported	Not reported
83	Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY · private nonprofit	$27,797	$25,757	$66,854	$25,000	90%
84	St Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, NY · private nonprofit	$27,714	$25,680	$61,445	$26,000	94%
85	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$27,554	$28,390	$44,092	$25,000	91%
86	Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL · public	$27,462	$27,474	$45,151	$29,054	106%
87	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$27,278	$24,637	$46,521	$15,000	55%
88	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$27,148	$26,252	$49,868	$21,202	78%
89	FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	$26,926	$26,037	$44,985	$18,492	69%
90	UNTDenton, TX · public	$26,773	$27,585	$41,843	$19,500	73%
91	Lee UniversityCleveland, TN · private nonprofit	$26,537	$28,885	$47,384	$26,750	101%
92	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$26,494	$28,157	Not reported	$24,637	93%
93	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$26,398	$28,454	$45,231	$24,987	95%
94	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$26,227	$26,238	Not reported	$25,000	95%
95	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$25,988	$23,472	$41,621	$15,000	58%
96	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$25,880	$28,705	$34,754	$25,500	99%
97	Asbury UniversityWilmore, KY · private nonprofit	$25,879	Not adjusted	$46,575	$24,289	94%
98	Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA · private for-profit	$25,425	$22,963	Not reported	$25,000	98%
99	Canisius UniversityBuffalo, NY · private nonprofit	$25,154	$23,308	$49,063	$20,250	81%
100	Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL · public	$25,057	$25,068	$38,390	$25,025	100%
101	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$24,934	$25,894	$40,905	$28,000	112%
102	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$24,894	$25,873	$46,682	$27,000	108%
103	SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY · public	$24,791	$22,971	$37,569	$27,000	109%
104	Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	$24,650	$22,263	$49,196	$17,504	71%
105	Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	$24,611	Not adjusted	$50,861	$15,500	63%
106	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$24,578	Not adjusted	$47,705	$25,935	106%
107	Cal State Monterey BaySeaside, CA · public	$24,496	$22,124	$46,621	$15,074	62%
108	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$24,250	$24,985	$46,787	$23,000	95%
109	Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$24,191	Not adjusted	$44,985	$25,420	105%
110	SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	$23,551	$21,822	$51,724	$21,500	91%
111	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$23,532	$24,948	$44,173	$23,250	99%
112	Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)Lincoln University, PA · public	$23,309	Not adjusted	$53,423	$27,000	116%
113	Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA · private nonprofit	$23,182	$20,938	$59,382	$21,375	92%
114	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$22,997	$21,910	$45,536	$22,024	96%
115	Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$22,947	$21,263	$48,587	$13,820	60%
116	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$22,487	$20,310	$53,045	$15,248	68%
117	Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	$22,133	$19,990	$42,918	$15,068	68%
118	Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	$22,057	$22,606	$44,842	$27,000	122%
119	Clark Atlanta UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$21,413	$22,237	$41,243	$28,500	133%
120	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$21,377	Not adjusted	$40,617	$28,794	135%
121	UTEPEl Paso, TX · public	$21,182	$21,824	$41,552	$21,737	103%
122	University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	$21,149	$21,963	Not reported	$21,881	103%
123	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$20,526	$21,333	$46,365	$34,019	166%
124	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$19,125	$20,275	$25,455	$25,000	131%
125	Point Park UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$17,479	$17,914	$51,753	$27,000	154%
126	Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	$16,690	$15,339	$50,112	$27,000	162%
127	Universidad del Sagrado CorazonSanturce, PR · private nonprofit	$13,436	Not adjusted	$28,972	$12,250	91%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 94 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 33, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

5 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

Radio, TV, and Digital Media (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Florida	8	$32,703	$19,500
2	Georgia	7	$31,994	$27,683
3	Texas	14	$31,762	$22,500
4	New York	14	$29,400	$23,793
5	Ohio	10	$29,246	$25,000
6	Pennsylvania	7	$28,751	$27,000
7	Illinois	8	$26,845	$26,210
8	California	12	$25,707	$15,248

Programs in 25 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

FIU, FL$11,180
Cal State Dominguez Hills, CA$13,000
Brooklyn College, NY$13,820
CSUN, CA$15,000
Cal State Long Beach, CA$15,000
Cal State LA, CA$15,068
Cal State Monterey Bay, CA$15,074
San Diego State, CA$15,248
Cedarville University, OH$15,250
Northwestern University, IL$15,500

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 78 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to radio, TV, and digital media, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Producers and Directors

$90,360

Median pay in the US. 143,120 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $45,780Top 10%: $198,540

Web and Digital Interface Designers

$104,000

Median pay in the US. 113,330 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $53,750Top 10%: $201,550

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

$62,200

Median pay in the US. 39,250 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $36,240Top 10%: $144,140

Film and Video Editors

$75,420

Median pay in the US. 25,610 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $40,280Top 10%: $148,550

Common questions

The median radio, TV, and digital media bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $29,633 in their first year and $47,705 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024