by our College Data Analytics Team
[Communication Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their communication media studies graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find where communication media studies graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send communication media studies graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Queens University Of Charlotte earned the #1 spot for highest-paid communication media studies graduates in North Carolina. Located in the city of Charlotte, Queens University Of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the communication media studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,750.
Students chasing top earnings in communication media studies will find them at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a public institution. Communication Media Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of about $56,634 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes East Carolina University one of the highest-paying schools for communication media studies. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a public institution. Early-career communication media studies graduates from East Carolina University make a median of around $53,677 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their communication media studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.