How much debt do Lander University communications graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $26,500, which ranks 5th lowest of 11 communications bachelor's programs in South Carolina. That works out to about $281 a month over 10 years.

Is a communications degree from Lander University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 105% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 69%. Compare the cost with other South Carolina programs before deciding.

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

Q: Do Lander University communications graduates stay in South Carolina?

Most do. 79% (22 of 28) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Communication and Media Studies
Public university
Greenwood, SC
About 24 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Lander University communications graduates earn less than graduates of most communications programs nationally, $25,271 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $26,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several South Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$25,2717th percentile of 577 programs nationally

Median federal debt$26,5005th lowest of 11 South Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings105%South Carolina median 81%, national 69%

How it compares

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

	Lander University	South Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,271	$34,456	$34,574
Median federal debt at graduation	$26,500	$27,000	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	105%	81%	69%
Programs compared		11	577

Debt and first-year pay at every South Carolina communications program

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

Lander UniversityOther South Carolina 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 $281 a month, or 13.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (22 of 28) were working in South Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of South Carolina outside metro areas are about 14% below the national average, so a $25,271 salary here buys what about $29,323 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

$62,730

Median pay in South Carolina. 2,950 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $38,920Top 10%: $143,940

Fundraisers

$62,720

Median pay in South Carolina. 1,200 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $46,590Top 10%: $104,610

Editors

$62,000

Median pay in South Carolina. 500 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $39,380Top 10%: $119,660

Public Relations Managers

$104,920

Median pay in South Carolina. 650 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $65,160Top 10%: $212,260

About Lander University

In-state tuition and fees	$11,700 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$21,300 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,363 / year
Admission rate	81%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	50%
Undergraduate students	3,397

Communications ranks 10th of 12 bachelor's programs at Lander University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($78,485), Computer and Information Science ($59,232), and Teacher Education ($39,601).

Other communications bachelor's programs near Greenwood

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Lander UniversityGreenwood, SC · public		$25,271	$26,500
University of South Carolina AikenAiken, SC · public	49 mi	$34,654	$28,000
Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · public	51 mi	$30,796	$30,520
Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · private nonprofit	52 mi	$41,766	$22,631
USC UpstateSpartanburg, SC · public	56 mi	$34,456	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,271 one year after graduating. The median across communications bachelor's programs in South Carolina is $34,456.

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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina, ranked11 programs by pay and debt Communications bachelor's programs in the US, ranked577 programs by pay and debt All Lander University programs, ranked12 programs by pay and debt