How much debt do Ashland University communications graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $2,625, which ranks the lowest of 19 communications bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $28 a month over 10 years.

Is a communications degree from Ashland University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 10% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 69%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Ohio programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Do Ashland University communications graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 58% (34 of 59) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

Ashland University Communications (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Communication and Media Studies
Private nonprofit university
Ashland, OH
About 36 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Ashland University communications graduates earn less than graduates of most communications programs nationally, $25,465 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $2,625 in federal loans, less than at more than 99% of communications programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Ohio median of $35,804.

First-year earnings$25,4657th percentile of 577 programs nationally

Median federal debt$2,625The lowest of 19 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings10%Ohio median 66%, national 69%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Ohio and national columns are the medians across all communications bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Ashland University	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,465	$35,804	$34,574
Median federal debt at graduation	$2,625	$25,438	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	10%	66%	69%
Programs compared		19	577

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio communications program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Ohio medians.

Ashland UniversityOther Ohio programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $28 a month, or 1.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

58% of graduates (34 of 59) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Ohio outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $25,465 salary here buys what about $28,835 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to communications, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Public Relations Specialists

$64,840

Median pay in Ohio. 6,670 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $41,540Top 10%: $121,460

Fundraisers

$64,080

Median pay in Ohio. 3,460 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $43,980Top 10%: $104,220

Editors

$72,160

Median pay in Ohio. 1,800 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $37,440Top 10%: $124,730

Public Relations Managers

$118,670

Median pay in Ohio. 1,400 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $59,540Top 10%: $211,290

About Ashland University

Tuition and fees	$31,210 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,988 / year
Admission rate	76%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	61%
Undergraduate students	2,199

Communications ranks 15th of 15 bachelor's programs at Ashland University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($71,445), Business Administration ($58,580), and Accounting ($55,407).

Other communications bachelor's programs near Ashland

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Ashland UniversityAshland, OH · private nonprofit		$25,465	$2,625
College of WoosterWooster, OH · private nonprofit	21 mi	$39,527	$22,681
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH · private nonprofit	43 mi	$29,501	$27,000
Walsh UniversityNorth Canton, OH · private nonprofit	50 mi	$29,861	$27,000
Kent StateKent, OH · public	55 mi	$35,804	$26,000
Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	56 mi	$29,618	$27,500
Denison UniversityGranville, OH · private nonprofit	56 mi	$47,396	$25,187
John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights, OH · private nonprofit	60 mi	$41,072	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,465 one year after graduating. The median across communications bachelor's programs in Ohio is $35,804.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Ohio comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the communications program.

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
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Communications bachelor's programs in Ohio, ranked19 programs by pay and debt Communications bachelor's programs in the US, ranked577 programs by pay and debt All Ashland University programs, ranked15 programs by pay and debt