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

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

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

26 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,982 people a year. The job pays a median of $78,780 in Wisconsin across about 640 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorInstructorCommunication ProfessorCommunication InstructorLecturerSpeech TeacherAdjunct LecturerSpeech Professor
Graduates / yr
1,982
in Wisconsin
Median pay · Wisconsin
$78,780
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
640
people employed
Schools
26
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
57%
across those schools
Median net price
$22,627
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job

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

13 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (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 Wisconsin page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 09.0101In Wisconsin
540
27.2%
14$34,858$25,000
2
CIP 09.0100In Wisconsin
307
15.5%
10$34,858$25,000
3
CIP 09.0401In Wisconsin
306
15.4%
6$34,515$24,250
4
CIP 09.0702In Wisconsin
275
13.9%
6$29,112$23,836
5
CIP 09.0906In Wisconsin
139
7.0%
3$39,658$24,500
6
CIP 09.0102In Wisconsin
117
5.9%
7$34,858$25,000
7
CIP 09.0900In Wisconsin
100
5.0%
6$39,658$24,500
8
CIP 52.0501In Wisconsin
77
3.9%
3$41,000$26,000
9
CIP 09.0903In Wisconsin
46
2.3%
2$39,658$24,500
10
CIP 09.0902In Wisconsin
33
1.7%
2$39,658$24,500
11
CIP 09.0701In Wisconsin
32
1.6%
1$29,112$23,836
12
CIP 09.0905In Wisconsin
6
0.3%
2$39,658$24,500
13
CIP 09.0908In Wisconsin
4
0.2%
1$39,658$24,500

Top 25 schools in Wisconsin

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 26 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI Public · 6 feeder programs
854Speech Communication and Rhetoric$37,28690%45%
2University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Whitewater, WI Public · 6 feeder programs
174Communication, General$39,36759%86%
3Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs
164Advertising$40,58383%$25,37681%
4University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI Public · 7 feeder programs
156Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$46,03946%87%
5University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
153Speech Communication and Rhetoric$38,04049%91%
6University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
La Crosse, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
80Speech Communication and Rhetoric$40,29371%76%
7University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
77Business/Corporate Communications, General64%82%
8University of Wisconsin - River Falls
River Falls, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
57Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication57%82%
9University of Wisconsin - Parkside
Kenosha, WI Public · 3 feeder programs
47Communication, General$37,10740%75%
10University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
35Communication, General$37,80748%89%
11University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
31Mass Communication/Media Studies$35,72451%92%
12Saint Norbert College
De Pere, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
29Mass Communication/Media Studies$38,28771%$23,31986%
13Carthage College
Kenosha, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
21Speech Communication and Rhetoric$33,58064%$22,84487%
14University of Wisconsin - Superior
Superior, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
18Speech Communication and Rhetoric$41,37142%93%
15Edgewood University
Madison, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Communication, General$42,95060%$23,82276%
16Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI Public · 2 feeder programs
12Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia45%
17Carroll University
Waukesha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Communication, General71%$22,60167%
18Concordia University - Wisconsin
Mequon, WI Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
11Mass Communication/Media Studies68%$24,40978%
19Chippewa Valley Technical College
Eau Claire, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
7Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication50%
20Ripon College
Ripon, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Speech Communication and Rhetoric63%$19,26780%
21Wisconsin Lutheran College
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
6Speech Communication and Rhetoric64%$19,13878%
22Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
5Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication51%
23Lakeland University
Plymouth, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
5Communication, General42%$20,76786%
24Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
4Speech Communication and Rhetoric43%$18,83662%
25Marian University
Fond Du Lac, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
3Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication44%$22,62775%

All 26 schools in Wisconsin

Every school in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadisonPublic8546
University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewaterPublic1746
Marquette UniversityMilwaukeePrivate not-for-profit1646
University of Wisconsin - OshkoshOshkoshPublic1567
University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukeePublic1533
University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa CrossePublic801
University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau ClairePublic773
University of Wisconsin - River FallsRiver FallsPublic573
University of Wisconsin - ParksideKenoshaPublic473
University of Wisconsin - Green BayGreen BayPublic351
University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointStevens PointPublic312
Saint Norbert CollegeDe PerePrivate not-for-profit292
Carthage CollegeKenoshaPrivate not-for-profit212
University of Wisconsin - SuperiorSuperiorPublic181
Edgewood UniversityMadisonPrivate not-for-profit131

What communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Wisconsin

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

Median annual in Wisconsin
$78,780
Mean annual
$86,130
Jobs in state
640
What the range looks like
10th pct$53,180Median$78,78090th pct$118,400
Versus the national median
+0.3%

U.S. median $78,580. Wisconsin pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.15×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Wisconsin

Madison, WI
$104,670median
90 jobs
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$79,180median
220 jobs
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$77,130median
40 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 Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin.

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 540 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 27.2% 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 13 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Public Relations, Radio, Journalism, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 1,982 people a year in Wisconsin.

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

The median is $78,780 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.3% above 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 Wisconsin?+

26 institutions in Wisconsin reported graduates from at least one of the 13 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 YorkFloridaPennsylvaniaIllinoisArizonaOhio

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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