How much debt do Valparaiso University communications graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 11th lowest of 16 communications bachelor's programs in Indiana. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Is a communications degree from Valparaiso University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 77% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 69%. Compare the cost with other Indiana programs before deciding.

Do Valparaiso University communications graduates stay in Indiana?

Many leave. 44% (18 of 41) were working in Indiana one year after graduating.

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

Bachelor's in Communication and Media Studies
Private nonprofit university
Valparaiso, IN
About 12 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Valparaiso University communications graduates earn about what communications graduates earn nationally, $35,164 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, more than at 75% of communications programs in the country. Several Indiana programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$35,16453rd percentile of 577 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$56,86462% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,00011th lowest of 16 Indiana programs

Debt-to-earnings77%Indiana median 67%, national 69%

How it compares

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

	Valparaiso University	Indiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,164	$34,213	$34,574
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$56,864	$49,909	$52,771
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$25,145	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	77%	67%	69%
Programs compared		17	577

Five years out, Valparaiso University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $6,955 more than the Indiana median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Indiana communications program

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

Valparaiso UniversityOther Indiana programs

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

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 62% between the first and fifth year.

Valparaiso University grads, year 1$35,164

Valparaiso University grads, year 5$56,864

All Indiana communications grads, year 5$49,909

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $2,664 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$33,180

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$35,844

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 9.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

44% of graduates (18 of 41) were working in Indiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Chicago area are about 4% above the national average, so a $35,164 salary here buys what about $33,944 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

$64,900

Median pay in Indiana. 3,750 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $42,060Top 10%: $105,580

Fundraisers

$66,250

Median pay in Indiana. 2,080 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $46,070Top 10%: $100,230

Editors

$56,440

Median pay in Indiana. 830 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $30,860Top 10%: $99,380

Public Relations Managers

$114,960

Median pay in Indiana. 600 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $75,520Top 10%: $198,300

About Valparaiso University

Tuition and fees	$48,450 / year
Average net price after aid	$18,578 / year
Admission rate	89%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	70%
Undergraduate students	2,083

Communications ranks 17th of 23 bachelor's programs at Valparaiso University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($75,484), Nursing ($73,747), and Electrical Engineering ($73,662).

Other communications bachelor's programs near Valparaiso

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN · private nonprofit		$35,164	$27,000
Purdue NorthwestHammond, IN · public	24 mi	$25,541	$28,000
Governors StateUniversity Park, IL · public	35 mi	$27,071	$20,340
Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	39 mi	$32,169	$26,311
DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	42 mi	$34,453	$22,916
UICChicago, IL · public	42 mi	$38,912	$20,750
Moody Bible InstituteChicago, IL · private nonprofit	43 mi	$36,963	$11,812
Saint Mary's CollegeNotre Dame, IN · private nonprofit	44 mi	$32,322	$27,000
IU South BendSouth Bend, IN · public	45 mi	$38,094	$26,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,164 one year after graduating and $56,864 five years after. The median across communications bachelor's programs in Indiana is $34,213.

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 Indiana 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 Indiana, ranked17 programs by pay and debt Communications bachelor's programs in the US, ranked577 programs by pay and debt All Valparaiso University programs, ranked23 programs by pay and debt