by our College Data Analytics TeamHere, you'll find out more about the major, including such details as the number of graduates, what degree levels are offered, ethnicity of students, average salaries, and more. In addition, we cover how WKU ranks in comparison to other schools with communications programs.
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The bachelor's program at WKU was ranked #269 on College Factual's Best Schools for communications list. It is also ranked #5 in Kentucky.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 263 |
| Best Communication & Media Studies Schools | 269 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Western Kentucky University handed out 40 bachelor's degrees in communication & media studies. This is an increase of 33% over the previous year when 30 degrees were handed out.
In 2022, 7 students received their master’s degree in communications from WKU. This makes it the #144 most popular school for communications master’s degree candidates in the country.
The median salary of communications students who receive their bachelor's degree at WKU is $33,955. Unfortunately, this is lower than the national average of $34,959 for all communications students.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WKU, communications students borrow a median amount of $20,075 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all communications bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $27,493.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at WKU paid an average of $1,125 per credit hour if they came to the school from out-of-state. In-state students paid a discounted rate of $477 per credit hour. Information about average full-time undergraduate tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,436 | $27,000 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $12,043 | $12,043 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $2,409 | $2,409 |
Learn more about WKU tuition and fees.
Of the 40 students who graduated with a Bachelor’s in communications from WKU in 2022, 28% were men and 73% were women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at WKU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 78% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's in communications.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 6 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 31 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 2 |
| Other Races | 1 |
WKU does not offer an online option for its communications bachelor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WKU Online Learning page.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, 8 students earned a master's degree in communications from WKU. About 63% of these graduates were women and the other 38% were men.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 75% of 2022 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University with a master's in communications.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 6 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 1 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the communications majors at Western Kentucky University.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Relations & Advertising | 135 |
| Journalism | 59 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 25 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.