Best Communications Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism.
33 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,335 people a year. The job pays a median of $73,750 in Virginia across about 790 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (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 Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 09.0101In Virginia → | 1,137 | 48.7% | 13 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0102In Virginia → | 442 | 18.9% | 9 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0100In Virginia → | 264 | 11.3% | 6 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 09.9999In Virginia → | 246 | 10.5% | 2 | $36,931 | $24,500 |
| 5 | CIP 09.0702In Virginia → | 156 | 6.7% | 3 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 6 | CIP 09.0401In Virginia → | 71 | 3.0% | 6 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 7 | CIP 09.0902In Virginia → | 9 | 0.4% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 8 | CIP 09.0905In Virginia → | 9 | 0.4% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 9 | CIP 09.0908In Virginia → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 16 of the 33 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 487 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $42,769 | 80% | — | 72% |
| 2 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 468 | Communication, General | $35,392 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 293 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $44,309 | 86% | — | 55% |
| 4 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 222 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $35,808 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 5 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 153 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 68% | — | 87% |
| 6 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 110 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $47,368 | 96% | — | 17% |
| 7 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 90 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $36,953 | 72% | — | 86% |
| 8 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 72 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $29,313 | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 9 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 10 | Virginia State University Petersburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 53 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $23,897 | 39% | — | 89% |
| 11 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $36,062 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 12 | Radford University Radford, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 34 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $38,038 | 49% | — | 90% |
| 13 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Communication, General | — | 66% | — | 80% |
| 14 | Hampton University Hampton, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Journalism | $28,324 | 57% | $34,268 | 62% |
| 15 | Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $29,477 | 53% | $19,485 | 92% |
| 16 | Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Communication, General | $40,328 | 70% | $26,498 | 87% |
| 17 | Roanoke College Salem, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Communication, General | $36,220 | 67% | $24,604 | 83% |
| 18 | Brightpoint Community College Chester, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | — | 38% | — | — |
| 19 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Public Relations/Image Management | — | 94% | $11,983 | 14% |
| 20 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Journalism | $43,157 | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 21 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 57% | $19,488 | 43% |
| 22 | Emory & Henry University Emory, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | — | 56% | $20,446 | 84% |
| 23 | Averett University Danville, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 48% | $23,171 | 57% |
| 24 | Patrick Henry College Purcellville, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Journalism | — | 74% | — | 77% |
| 25 | Marymount University Arlington, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Communication, General | — | 54% | $25,803 | 93% |
All 33 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia 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.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public | 487 | 2 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 468 | 3 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 293 | 1 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 222 | 1 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 153 | 3 |
| University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville | Public | 110 | 2 |
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News | Public | 90 | 1 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 72 | 2 |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk | Public | 64 | 1 |
| Virginia State University | Petersburg | Public | 53 | 1 |
| Longwood University | Farmville | Public | 37 | 1 |
| Radford University | Radford | Public | 34 | 2 |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Hampton University | Hampton | Private not-for-profit | 23 | 1 |
| Bridgewater College | Bridgewater | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 1 |
What communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,580. Virginia pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Virginia
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
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
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Virginia
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 Virginia.
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 1,137 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 48.7% 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 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Communication, Radio, Journalism, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 2,335 people a year in Virginia.
How much do communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Virginia?+
The median is $73,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.1% 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 Virginia?+
33 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 9 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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