by our College Data Analytics TeamPolitical Communication was the 923rd most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 187 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 4 over the prior year, a growth of 2.1%.
This year's Best Political Communication Schools ranking compares 5 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of political communication programs later in this article.
A major in political communication prepares you for careers in which giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is crucial. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
political communication degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. In addition to these basic political communication program qualifications, to serve in some political communication careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of political communication degrees. You can get anything from a in political communication to the highest political communication degree, a . Political Communication programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to political communication, with approximately 60.2% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to political communication tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 62.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 21.4% |
| High School Diploma | 5.5% |
| Doctoral Degree | 4.2% |
| Some College Courses | 2.7% |
90.4% of political communication workers have at least a bachelor's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in political communication have received.
The education level required is different depending on the political communication career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your political communication degree? Political Communication careers are expected to grow 6.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to political communication.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 282,600 | 8.9% |
| Reporters and Correspondents | 40,200 | -10.1% |
| Communications Professors | 37,500 | 10.0% |
| Broadcast News Analysts | 5,600 | -1.8% |
As you might expect, salaries for political communication graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for political communication graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers political communication grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Broadcast News Analysts | $91,990 |
| Communications Professors | $78,090 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $68,440 |
| Reporters and Correspondents | $55,530 |
With over 25 different political communication degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased political communication school rankings to help you with this.
Political Communication is one of 10 different types of Public Relations & Advertising programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Relations | 5,216 |
| Advertising | 4,918 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication | 4,203 |
| General Organizational Communication | 2,013 |
| Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication | 1,553 |
Image Credit: By Bill Koplitz under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
