Communications major
Communications: courses, careers, and where to study
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
A Communications major covers strategic communication, mass communication theory, public relations, journalism, broadcast, digital media, public speaking, and media ethics. Programs typically allow students to specialize: PR, advertising, journalism, organizational communication, or digital/social media. Most programs include a portfolio-building capstone and an internship.
Graduates work across PR, marketing, broadcasting, journalism, content, internal corporate communications, and public affairs. The major pairs naturally with a Marketing or Political Science double major.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Communications maps to CIP 09.0100, Communication, General, within the COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that focuses on the comprehensive study of communication, and that spans the study of mass communication/media studies, old and new media technologies, social and political applications, and speech communication and rhetoric. Includes instruction in interpersonal, group, organizational, and intercultural communication; theories of communication; critical thinking, argumentation, and persuasion; written communication; printed, electronic, and digital media; rhetorical tradition and criticism; media, society, and culture; consequences and effects of mass media; media social science and criticism; and quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Communications is awarded as
Of the 11,206 Communications credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate4%494
- Associate4%405
- Bachelor's85%9,565
- Graduate7%742
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 32 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 9 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Public speaking and persuasive communication
- Mass communication theory
- Public relations and crisis communication
- Journalism and reporting fundamentals
- Digital and social media
- Media ethics and law
- Media writing across formats
- Internship and portfolio capstone
Typical careers
- PR / Communications Specialist
- Journalist / Reporter
- Content Strategist
- Social Media Manager
- Internal Communications Manager
- Marketing Coordinator
Typical salary range: $48,000–$70,000 early-careerRanges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Communications, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $69,780 | 27,600 | +4.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Writers and Authors | $72,270 | 13,400 | +3.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | $66,490 | 10,200 | +4.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | $75,260 | 9,800 | +0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Public Relations Managers | $138,520 | 6,600 | +5% | Bachelor's degree |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | $60,280 | 4,100 | -3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraising Managers | $123,480 | 3,600 | +4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,800 | 2,700 | +2.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | $45,680 | 2,300 | -5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 9 of these 9 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Communications does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Communications major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Communications program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Communications department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Communications program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Communications credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of California-Santa BarbaraCA · 649
- Texas A & M University-College StationTX · 648
- University of California-DavisCA · 301
- University of Massachusetts-AmherstMA · 295
- The University of Texas at San AntonioTX · 286
- University of California-Los AngelesCA · 270
- University of UtahUT · 261
- University of California-San DiegoCA · 252
- The University of Texas at ArlingtonTX · 251
- University of Phoenix-ArizonaAZ · 249
- University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL · 240
- Baylor UniversityTX · 211
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Communications credentials were awarded
23 states have a distinct enough set of Communications colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Communications schools by state
Related majors
Marketing
Marketing majors learn how to identify, reach, and convert customers, combining strategy, consumer behavior, digital channels, brand management, and analytics.
English & Literature
English develops critical reading, analytical writing, and rhetorical skill, a flexible major that feeds into law, publishing, education, marketing, and any field that values communication.
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy, preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
Still deciding between Communications and something else?
These guides put Communicationsside by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Communications degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Communications degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Communications path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.