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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0907

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 15 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$184,840 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−175%Modeled 10-year ROI

$37,102Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$37,102Median reported earnings · year 4

$35,410Average reported earnings · year 5

$11,647Median federal debt

15thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

15Reporting programs

15With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $31,878
Federal debt: $9,500
Reporting programs: 10

9 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $37,102
Federal debt: $11,647
Reporting programs: 15

15 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,359
Federal debt: $24,250
Reporting programs: 165

163 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $79,242
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 20

20 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$35,516National median$37,10275th percentile$37,102

15 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Baker College$39,242 2Southern Maine Community College$38,045 3San Antonio College$37,871 4Austin Community College District$37,248 5Connecticut State Community College$37,102 6Hillsborough College$36,536 7Parkland College$36,353 8SUNY Broome Community College$35,516 9Orange County Community College$35,373 10Hawkeye Community College$34,419

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Communications Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1122 · 2 crosswalk linksBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc JockeysSOC 27-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksFilm and Video EditorsSOC 27-4032 · 1 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 1 crosswalk linksMedia and Communication Workers, All OtherSOC 27-3099 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksNews Analysts, Reporters, and JournalistsSOC 27-3023 · 1 crosswalk linksProducers and DirectorsSOC 27-2012 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-1255 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR RADIO, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	Baker CollegeAssociate's Degree	Owosso, MI	$39,242	Not available	-150%	Negative payoff
2	Southern Maine Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	South Portland, ME	$38,045	$10,500	-162%	Negative payoff
3	San Antonio CollegeAssociate's Degree	San Antonio, TX	$37,871	Not available	-172%	Negative payoff
4	Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree	Austin, TX	$37,248	$12,000	-175%	Negative payoff
5	Connecticut State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	New Britain, CT	$37,102	Not available	-170%	Negative payoff
6	Hillsborough CollegeAssociate's Degree	Tampa, FL	$36,536	Not available	-187%	Negative payoff
7	Parkland CollegeAssociate's Degree	Champaign, IL	$36,353	Not available	-182%	Negative payoff
8	SUNY Broome Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Binghamton, NY	$35,516	$11,293	-188%	Negative payoff
9	Orange County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Middletown, NY	$35,373	Not available	-193%	Negative payoff
10	Hawkeye Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Waterloo, IA	$34,419	Not available	-197%	Negative payoff
11	El Paso Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	El Paso, TX	$33,290	Not available	-221%	Negative payoff
12	Manchester Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	,	$37,102	Not available	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available
13	Naugatuck Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	,	$37,102	Not available	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available
14	Middlesex Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	,	$37,102	Not available	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available
15	International College of BroadcastingAssociate's Degree	,	$36,490	$26,771	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.