Pennsylvania·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1122

Best Communications Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism.

99 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,348 people a year. The job pays a median of $77,790 in Pennsylvania across about 1,530 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorInstructorCommunication ProfessorCommunication InstructorLecturerSpeech TeacherAdjunct LecturerSpeech Professor
Graduates / yr
3,348
in Pennsylvania
Median pay · Pennsylvania
$77,790
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,530
people employed
Schools
99
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
54%
across those schools
Median net price
$24,175
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

17 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Pennsylvania page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1704
21.0%
36$34,858$25,000
2563
16.8%
18$34,858$25,000
3530
15.8%
27$29,112$23,836
4338
10.1%
22$34,858$25,000
5329
9.8%
13$34,515$24,250
6193
5.8%
8$29,112$23,836
7187
5.6%
5$39,658$24,500
8128
3.8%
10$39,658$24,500
9115
3.4%
8$36,931$24,500
1083
2.5%
6$39,658$24,500
1174
2.2%
14$41,000$26,000
1264
1.9%
8$39,658$24,500
1315
0.4%
3$34,515$24,250
1411
0.3%
1$39,658$24,500
1510
0.3%
1$34,515$24,250
163
0.1%
1$39,658$24,500
171
0.0%
1$39,658$24,500

Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 40 of the 99 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Temple University
Philadelphia, PA Public · 6 feeder programs
557Advertising$41,16575%80%
2Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus
University Park, PA Public · 7 feeder programs
552Journalism$36,46886%61%
3University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs
159Mass Communication/Media Studies$42,32185%58%
4Villanova University
Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
154Speech Communication and Rhetoric$52,29492%$33,77427%
5Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA Public · 4 feeder programs
111Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia$22,05754%91%
6Pennsylvania State University - World Campus
University Park, PA Public · 7 feeder programs
109Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other$39,58234%91%
7Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
77Communication, General$31,41954%93%
8Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
76Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$37,12578%$36,00479%
9West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
75Mass Communication/Media Studies71%78%
10Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
74Communication, General$35,84066%71%
11Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
59Speech Communication and Rhetoric$29,85856%91%
12Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs
55Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$32,49559%$23,70497%
13Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
55Speech Communication and Rhetoric$38,02479%$34,41889%
14Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
51Speech Communication and Rhetoric$35,99958%86%
15Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
43Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other56%87%
16Pennsylvania Western University
California, PA Public · 4 feeder programs
42Communication, General$31,29852%94%
17Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs
40Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$36,63282%$23,62081%
18Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
36Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia69%$26,03481%
19Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs
34Mass Communication/Media Studies$24,79424%
20Lincoln University
Lincoln University, PA Public · 1 feeder programs
33Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia$23,30944%66%
21Grove City College
Grove City, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
32Speech Communication and Rhetoric83%72%
22Delaware County Community College
Media, PA Public · 3 feeder programs
31Speech Communication and Rhetoric24%
23Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, PA Public · 2 feeder programs
31Speech Communication and Rhetoric28%
24Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Mass Communication/Media Studies$29,95082%$23,11172%
25Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
30Speech Communication and Rhetoric$36,27163%$27,08291%

All 99 schools in Pennsylvania

Every school in Pennsylvania with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Pennsylvania that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaPublic5576
Pennsylvania State University - Main CampusUniversity ParkPublic5527
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburghPublic1591
Villanova UniversityVillanovaPrivate not-for-profit1542
Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztownPublic1114
Pennsylvania State University - World CampusUniversity ParkPublic1097
Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburgPublic772
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit764
West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest ChesterPublic752
Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery RockPublic742
Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndianaPublic592
Point Park UniversityPittsburghPrivate not-for-profit557
Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit551
Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersvillePublic512
Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburgPublic432

What communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Pennsylvania

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Pennsylvania
$77,790
Mean annual
$81,430
Jobs in state
1,530
What the range looks like
10th pct$48,950Median$77,79090th pct$116,140
Versus the national median
-1.0%

U.S. median $78,580. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.33×

Concentrated here: Pennsylvania employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$79,870median
650 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$75,400median
60 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$75,890median
330 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$78,270median
110 jobs
Erie, PA
$80,750median
30 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$73,770median
50 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
2,700
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
800
35,800 → 36,600
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Communications Teachers, Postsecondary page.

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.

Top skills

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningLearning StrategiesWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Pennsylvania

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

Common questions

Answers for people weighing communications teachers, postsecondary programs in Pennsylvania.

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 704 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 21.0% 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 17 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Radio, Public Relations, Journalism, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 3,348 people a year in Pennsylvania.

How much do communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Pennsylvania?+

The median is $77,790 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.0% below the U.S. median of $78,580. 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 in Pennsylvania?+

99 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 17 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.

Communications Teachers, Postsecondary in other statesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisArizonaOhioNorth Carolina

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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, 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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