by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Health Communication covers Health Communication. A Program That Focuses On How People, Individually And Collectively, Understand And Accommodate To Health And Illness And The Role Of Communication And Media In Shaping Professional Health Care Messages And Public Acceptance Of These Messages. Includes Instruction In The Development And Use Of Health-Related And Care-Related Messages And Media; The Goals And Strategies Of Health Care Promotion; Relationships, Roles, Situations, And Social Structures In The Context Of Health Maintenance And Promotion; And Applications To Disease Prevention, Health Advocacy, And Communications Concerning Treatments. Examples: [Health And Health Science Communication]. Read on to learn the essential details every health communication major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering health communication programs.
Across the country, health communication is a popular field of study, with 362 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Health Communication Schools ranking analyzes these 57 schools to determine the best overall colleges for health communication students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of health communication programs later in this article.
Studies in Health Communication emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations health communication graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a health communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a health communication major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several health communication degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 6 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 120 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 227 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 9 |
People currently working in careers related to health communication tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 44.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 27.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 9.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 9.7% |
| Post-doctoral training | 6.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.5% |
| Some college courses | 0.4% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in health communication careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying health communication can lead to numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to health communication.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to health communication.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 919,494 | -1.5% |
| Community Health Workers | 300,538 | 13.4% |
| Public Relations Specialists | 288,926 | -3.5% |
| Health Education Specialists | 169,157 | 3.7% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of health communication graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $43,317 |
| 4 years | $55,248 |
| 5 years | $64,495 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for health communication graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers health communication grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | $103,749 |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | $96,169 |
| Health Education Specialists | $81,726 |
| Community Health Workers | $73,901 |
With 57 different health communication programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased health communication school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in health communication, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
