by our College Data Analytics TeamWe’ve pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. Also, learn how Purdue-West Lafayette compares to other colleges that offer communication & media studies.
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Purdue-West Lafayette is in the top 10% of the country for communication & media studies. More specifically it was ranked #26 out of 776 schools by College Factual. It is also ranked #1 in Indiana.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana | 1 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Indiana | 1 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Indiana | 1 |
| College Major Top Ranked | 1 |
| College Major Top Ranked | 1 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region | 4 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region | 4 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region | 4 |
| College Major Top Ranked | 4 |
| College Major Top Ranked | 4 |
| Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Indiana | 6 |
| Best Value Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Indiana | 6 |
For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, Purdue University-Main Campus conferred 121 bachelor’s degrees in communication & media studies.
Communication & Media Studies graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Purdue-West Lafayette report a median salary of $55,860 a year. This is lower than $79,539, the median for all majors at Purdue-West Lafayette.
To complete a bachelor’s at Purdue-West Lafayette, communication & media studies graduates take on a median debt of $18,500 in student loans. This is lower than $19,849, the typical median for all majors at Purdue-West Lafayette.
Information about average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,718 | $28,520 |
| Fees | $274 | $274 |
Read more about Purdue-West Lafayette tuition and fees.
For the most recent academic year available, 31% of communication & media studies bachelor’s degrees went to men and 69% went to women.
The largest share of communication & media studies bachelor’s degree graduates at Purdue-West Lafayette were White. About 69% of graduates fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Purdue University-Main Campus with a bachelor’s in communication & media studies.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 11 |
| Black or African American | 3 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8 |
| White | 84 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 10 |
| Other Races | 5 |
For the most recent academic year available, 18% of communication & media studies master’s degrees went to men and 82% went to women.
The largest share of communication & media studies master’s degree graduates at Purdue-West Lafayette are White. Approximately 63% of graduates fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Purdue University-Main Campus with a master’s in communication & media studies.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 4 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9 |
| White | 49 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 5 |
| Other Races | 9 |
Among recent graduates, 11% of communication & media studies doctoral degrees went to men and 89% went to women.
The largest share of communication & media studies doctoral degree graduates at Purdue-West Lafayette were White. Approximately 67% of graduates fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Purdue University-Main Campus with a doctoral in communication & media studies.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 6 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 3 |
| Other Races | 0 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the communication & media studies majors at Purdue University-Main Campus.
The communication & media studies program at Purdue-West Lafayette breaks down into the following more specific areas of study:
| Concentration | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 241 |
| Communication, General | 2 |
Purdue-West Lafayette granted 241 completions in speech communication and rhetoric recently — 75% to women and 25% to men. The most common background among these graduates was White (67%). Some of these were earned through distance education.
Purdue-West Lafayette awarded 2 completions in communication, general in the latest year of data — 100% to women and 0% to men. Most of these graduates identified as Asian (50%). This count includes degrees completed through distance education.