Best degree programs for Communications Teachers, Postsecondary, ranked by enrollment
22 college programs and 1,526 schools train Communications Teachers, Postsecondary. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $78,580 median wage, 29,420 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
22 college programs at 1,526 schools train communications teachers, postsecondary, graduating 97,682 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Speech Communication and Rhetoric. The job pays a median of $78,580 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About communications teachers, postsecondary
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
22 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 09.0101 | 31,248 | 32.0% | 718 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0702 | 11,911 | 12.2% | 416 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0100 | 11,464 | 11.7% | 375 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 09.0401 | 9,258 | 9.5% | 356 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 5 | CIP 09.0102 | 8,696 | 8.9% | 311 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 09.0701 | 6,089 | 6.2% | 173 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 7 | CIP 09.0903 | 4,542 | 4.6% | 90 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 8 | CIP 09.0900 | 4,140 | 4.2% | 164 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 9 | CIP 09.0902 | 4,001 | 4.1% | 144 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 10 | CIP 09.0906 | 1,470 | 1.5% | 88 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 11 | CIP 09.9999 | 1,250 | 1.3% | 65 | $36,931 | $24,500 |
| 12 | CIP 09.0499 | 1,031 | 1.1% | 40 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 13 | CIP 52.0501 | 836 | 0.9% | 57 | $41,000 | $26,000 |
| 14 | CIP 09.0402 | 712 | 0.7% | 49 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 15 | CIP 09.0905 | 361 | 0.4% | 51 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 16 | CIP 09.0904 | 190 | 0.2% | 9 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 17 | CIP 09.0908 | 168 | 0.2% | 25 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 18 | CIP 09.0907 | 157 | 0.2% | 17 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 19 | CIP 50.0607 | 135 | 0.1% | 13 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 20 | CIP 52.0599 | 14 | 0.0% | 2 | $41,000 | $26,000 |
| 21 | CIP 09.0407 | 7 | 0.0% | 1 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 22 | CIP 09.0406 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What communications teachers, postsecondary earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $135,000 | 3,140 | 0.91× | 179 | 16,083 |
| Texas | $77,050 | 2,880 | 1.08× | 81 | 8,091 |
| New York | $84,690 | 2,490 | 1.36× | 106 | 7,419 |
| Florida | $65,740 | 1,260 | 0.67× | 60 | 6,069 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,790 | 1,530 | 1.33× | 99 | 3,348 |
| Illinois | $78,150 | 1,580 | 1.37× | 57 | 3,325 |
| Arizona | $71,230 | 630 | 1.03× | 21 | 3,217 |
| Ohio | $77,660 | 1,390 | 1.33× | 68 | 3,177 |
| North Carolina | $65,850 | 950 | 1.01× | 41 | 3,090 |
| Massachusetts | $82,610 | 1,110 | 1.62× | 48 | 3,088 |
| Georgia | $73,430 | 460 | 0.50× | 35 | 2,914 |
| Michigan | $87,670 | 630 | 0.75× | 44 | 2,389 |
| Virginia | $73,750 | 790 | 1.02× | 33 | 2,335 |
| Indiana | $65,390 | 670 | 1.10× | 41 | 2,117 |
| Wisconsin | $78,780 | 640 | 1.15× | 26 | 1,982 |
| Utah | $77,950 | 180 | 0.55× | 11 | 1,917 |
| Colorado | $69,200 | 560 | 1.04× | 25 | 1,875 |
| Maryland | $83,510 | 440 | 0.84× | 25 | 1,730 |
| New Jersey | $77,780 | 1,380 | 1.70× | 27 | 1,649 |
| Washington | $75,330 | 420 | 0.63× | 17 | 1,601 |
| Missouri | $71,830 | 480 | 0.86× | 38 | 1,478 |
| Tennessee | $66,630 | 440 | 0.71× | 28 | 1,425 |
| Alabama | $63,760 | 300 | 0.74× | 21 | 1,375 |
| Connecticut | $97,210 | 280 | 0.86× | 14 | 1,200 |
| South Carolina | $79,810 | 320 | 0.73× | 24 | 1,173 |
| Kentucky | $62,380 | 470 | 1.23× | 24 | 1,072 |
| District of Columbia | $83,910 | 180 | 1.33× | 8 | 1,048 |
| Louisiana | $77,250 | 170 | 0.46× | 18 | 1,037 |
| Oregon | $98,900 | 490 | 1.32× | 17 | 1,023 |
| Oklahoma | $66,650 | 230 | 0.72× | 28 | 952 |
| Arkansas | $59,810 | 140 | 0.55× | 18 | 891 |
| Minnesota | $83,380 | 450 | 0.81× | 36 | 805 |
| Iowa | $77,700 | 320 | 1.10× | 32 | 793 |
| Kansas | $64,180 | 300 | 1.11× | 24 | 709 |
| Mississippi | $61,290 | 180 | 0.84× | 16 | 698 |
| Nebraska | $79,180 | 90 | 0.46× | 17 | 519 |
| Idaho | — | 80 | 0.49× | 9 | 497 |
| Rhode Island | $95,910 | 110 | 1.12× | 10 | 472 |
| West Virginia | $77,880 | 110 | 0.87× | 12 | 404 |
| Nevada | $82,020 | 70 | 0.24× | 5 | 392 |
| Delaware | $100,260 | 60 | 0.67× | 5 | 391 |
| New Hampshire | $95,760 | 40 | 0.34× | 12 | 282 |
| North Dakota | $78,120 | 50 | 0.64× | 9 | 222 |
| New Mexico | $49,880 | 400 | 2.41× | 7 | 203 |
| Maine | $78,000 | 60 | 0.51× | 7 | 195 |
| South Dakota | $71,300 | 80 | 0.94× | 6 | 145 |
| Montanamoderate | $78,110 | 60 | 0.63× | 4 | 85 |
| Wyoming | $76,760 | 50 | 0.97× | 5 | 62 |
| Vermont | $76,120 | 60 | 1.13× | 7 | 47 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Learning Strategies4.0
- Writing4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Monitoring3.8
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.9
- Education and Training4.7
- Communications and Media4.3
- Psychology3.9
- Computers and Electronics3.8
- Sociology and Anthropology3.8
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Speech Clarity4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Written Expression4.0
- Deductive Reasoning3.8
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.6
- Thinking Creatively4.5
- Working with Computers4.4
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Training and Teaching Others4.2
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 23 majors mapped to Communications Teachers, Postsecondary22 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0100Communication, General
- 09.0101Speech Communication and Rhetoric
- 09.0102Mass Communication/Media Studies
- 09.0401Journalism
- 09.0402Broadcast Journalism
- 09.0405Business and Economic Journalism(no graduates reported)
- 09.0406Cultural Journalism
- 09.0407Science/Health/Environmental Journalism
- 09.0499Journalism, Other
- 09.0701Radio and Television
- 09.0702Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
- 09.0900Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
- 09.0902Public Relations/Image Management
- 09.0903Advertising
- 09.0904Political Communication
- 09.0905Health Communication
- 09.0906Sports Communication
- 09.0907International and Intercultural Communication
- 09.0908Technical and Scientific Communication
- 09.9999Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
- 50.0607Documentary Production
- 52.0501Business/Corporate Communications, General
- 52.0599Business/Corporate Communications, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Speech Communication and Rhetoric, which awarded 31,248 degrees in 2024-25, 32.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 22 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Radio, Public Relations, Journalism, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 97,682 people a year.
How much do communications teachers, postsecondary earn?+
The median is $78,580 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,590 at the 10th percentile to $143,720 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for communications teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 2,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,526 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 22 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do communications teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, Communication Professor, Communication Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1122.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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