Rankings / By State
Best Communications Colleges in Maryland
- 11
- Schools
- $62,336
- Avg. Earnings
- 67%
- Avg. Graduation
- $23,526
- Avg. Net Price
- $24,402
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Graduate earnings span a wide band on this list, from $45,212 at the low end to $82,860 at the top. That 1.8× spread shows how much outcomes vary within a single category.
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University of Maryland-College Park offers the strongest payback. Graduates earn a median of $82,860 against $15,678 in annual net price, the best earnings-to-cost ratio in this ranking.
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The most budget-friendly option on this list is Morgan State University, at $14,985 annually in net price.
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Completion rates separate this field: University of Maryland-College Park graduates 89% of its students, well above the 67% list average. Finishing what you start matters as much as where you start.
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Debt-to-earnings ratios favor University of Maryland-College Park: graduates owe only 0.23× their yearly income, the most manageable debt burden on the list.
Surprising Comparisons
- The top spot belongs to Loyola University Maryland ($82,652 earnings), not the highest earner, University of Maryland-College Park ($82,860). That is what weighting mobility and value over salary alone produces.
- Price and payoff diverge sharply here. Morgan State University ($14,985/yr) and Maryland Institute College of Art ($42,729/yr) produce graduates earning $50,698 and $45,212 respectively, a far narrower earnings gap than the $27,744 cost difference would suggest.
- Completion is where this ranking's schools diverge most: University of Maryland-College Park graduates 89% of its students versus 41% at Morgan State University. Access without completion is opportunity unclaimed.
The Takeaway
A consistent pattern: the schools that finish at the top get there by delivering strong earnings, manageable debt, and real mobility rather than by charging more or rejecting more applicants. Those outcomes are what define educational value.
What This Means for Students
For students evaluating these schools, begin with University of Maryland-College Park. Look past sticker price: pull each school's net price for your income level, compare it against projected earnings, and let the data guide the decision instead of the brand.
Why this ranking matters
Business is one of the higher-return fields in the economy, but the payoff depends heavily on where you study it. Graduates of these programs earn a median of about $62K within a decade, and pr specialist roles are projected to grow 6%. We rank programs by the outcomes they produce for graduates, not by reputation.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-07-13
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Loyola University Maryland #1 overall | $82,652 ▲ +33% vs avg | $30,574 | 80% | 74 |
| 2 University of Maryland-College Park #2 overall | $82,860 ▲ +33% vs avg | $15,678 | 89% | 71 |
| 3 Goucher College #3 overall | $53,023 ▼ -15% vs avg | $22,470 | 59% | 70 |
| $65,518 ▲ +5% vs avg | $27,898 | 70% | 70 | |
| $57,089 ▼ -8% vs avg | $20,873 | 56% | 69 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Communications Colleges in Maryland
This analysis ranks 11 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $62,336 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 67% and an average net price of $23,526.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: University of Maryland-College Park — Net Price: $15,678 | Graduation Rate: 89%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: University of Maryland-College Park — 89% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: University of Maryland-College Park — Median alumni earnings: $82,860
Data Insight
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Humanities & Creative Fields Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the value of a humanities and creative education?
$61,515
Median earnings (10yr)
68%
Median graduation rate
$21,916
Median net price
1.7%
Avg. mobility rate
The value of a humanities or creative degree resists summary in a single earnings number, but that does not make it absent. These programs build critical thinking, persuasive writing, and creative problem-solving, the abilities employers consistently say they need most. Those skills compound over a career and narrow the early earnings gap with more vocational fields.
Start with the medians across these 11 schools. Graduates earn a median of $61,515 ten years after enrollment, or about $13,515 above the $48,000 a typical American worker earns. The median graduation rate is 68%, and the typical net price (what students pay after grants) runs $21,916 a year with about $26,000 in federal debt. Pell grants reach 31% of students on average, and the average mobility rate, the share of students lifted from the bottom income quintile to the top, is 1.7%.
Variability is the theme across these programs, and wide ranges in both earnings and cost make school selection especially consequential. Graduates earn a median of $61,515 ten years after enrollment, and the median net price runs $21,916. Affordability is the single most effective lever for improving ROI in this category.
The podium
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Tip: Check the box on any 2–4 schools below to compare them side by side.
Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Loyola University Maryland lands at #1 with a 74/100 composite, led by academic quality (85/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (42/100). Graduates earn a median $82,652 a decade after enrolling, 33% above this list's average, and net price runs $30,574 a year, above the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
College Park, MD · 45% accepted · $15,678 net
Why it ranks #2
University of Maryland-College Park lands at #2 with a 71/100 composite, led by academic quality (90/100) and pulled down by social mobility (60/100). Graduates earn a median $82,860 a decade after enrolling, 33% above this list's average, and net price runs $15,678 a year, well under the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
Goucher College lands at #3 with a 70/100 composite, led by social mobility (86/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (52/100). Graduates earn a median $53,023 a decade after enrolling, 15% below this list's average, and net price runs $22,470 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
Washington College lands at #4 with a 70/100 composite, led by social mobility (83/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (47/100). Graduates earn a median $65,518 a decade after enrolling, 5% above this list's average, and net price runs $27,898 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
Hood College lands at #5 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (52/100). Graduates earn a median $57,089 a decade after enrolling, 8% below this list's average, and net price runs $20,873 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Towson University lands at #6 with a 69/100 composite, led by academic quality (73/100) and pulled down by social mobility (64/100). Graduates earn a median $64,390 a decade after enrolling, 3% above this list's average, and net price runs $17,413 a year, well under the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
Maryland Institute College of Art lands at #7 with a 67/100 composite, led by social mobility (83/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (28/100). Graduates earn a median $45,212 a decade after enrolling, 27% below this list's average, and net price runs $42,729 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #8
McDaniel College lands at #8 with a 67/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (54/100). Graduates earn a median $60,663 a decade after enrolling, 3% below this list's average, and net price runs $21,916 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Stevenson University lands at #9 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (83/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (45/100). Graduates earn a median $62,079 a decade after enrolling, 0% above this list's average, and net price runs $26,505 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #10
Salisbury University lands at #10 with a 65/100 composite, led by academic quality (70/100) and pulled down by social mobility (57/100). Graduates earn a median $61,515 a decade after enrolling, 1% below this list's average, and net price runs $17,743 a year, well under the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #11
Morgan State University lands at #11 with a 59/100 composite, led by social mobility (62/100) and pulled down by academic quality (56/100). Graduates earn a median $50,698 a decade after enrolling, 19% below this list's average, and net price runs $14,985 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 11 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs — and the jobs are
Where these graduates work
Graduates of these programs most often become PR Specialists and related roles — a field with $67,440 median pay and 6% projected growth.
See the PR Specialist career guide →Communications programs in Maryland are designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in media, public relations, and other communication fields. With 11 schools offering these programs, potential students and their families may find themselves evaluating which institution will best support their goals.
What sets apart the leading schools here are their outcomes in key areas like earnings, graduation rates, and student debt. The data shows that a higher graduation rate often correlates with better post-college earnings, while manageable debt levels can lead to greater financial freedom after graduation. The list below ranks these schools based on their performance in these critical areas.
For instance, the University of Maryland-College Park stands out with an impressive $82,860 average earning, significantly higher than Salisbury University’s $61,515. However, Salisbury offers a lower net price of $17,743 compared to Loyola University Maryland’s $30,574, highlighting the tradeoff between cost and potential salary post-graduation.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
The backbone of this ranking is social-mobility data from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, which draws on more than 30 million tax records. A school's mobility rate is the share of its students who move from the bottom income quintile to the top. Among the 7 schools on this list with available data, that rate averages 1.7%. Hood College leads the group at 2.8%, with Goucher College (2.2%) and Stevenson University (1.6%) close behind.
Who gets in matters as much as what happens after. Across these schools, an average of 4.5% of students start in the bottom income quintile. Hood College leads at 6.4%, which signals an admissions door that is actually open to low-income students. Schools that pair high access with high mobility are the ones driving generational change.
Once low-income students enroll, their odds of reaching the top income quintile average 37.6% across this list. Hood College posts the highest success rate at 43.5%. Access without completion and career momentum is an incomplete picture, and this is the number that completes it.
Social capital, measured by economic connectedness, captures the degree of cross-class friendship on campus, another dimension Opportunity Insights ties to long-run outcomes. Across these schools it averages 1.80 against a national benchmark of 1.0. Loyola University Maryland reaches 1.86, the highest on the list.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
While both the University of Maryland-College Park and Towson University offer strong communications programs, they differ significantly in outcomes. Maryland-College Park graduates enjoy an average earning of $82,860, while Towson’s graduates earn $64,390. This disparity can influence a student’s decision, as choosing a school with higher earning potential might offset the cost of attending.
After reviewing the data, it’s essential to consider what matters most to you. Look beyond earnings and debt; factors like campus culture, internship opportunities, and proximity to industry hubs can be just as crucial. If a lower net price is a priority, Salisbury might be appealing, but if salary potential tops your list, Maryland-College Park could be the better choice.
Ultimately, the path from college to a stable career is influenced by choices made today. Each school in this list has its strengths and weaknesses, and understanding these can help families make informed decisions. Whether it's a high earning potential or a lower cost of attendance, the right fit can lead to a successful and fulfilling future.
Data Sources
U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard
Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card
Social Capital Atlas
Times Higher Education World Rankings
NCES IPEDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Communications Colleges in Maryland: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Communications Colleges in Maryland ranking? +
Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, MD ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Communications Colleges in Maryland ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $82,652 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 80% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
University of Maryland-College Park posts the highest median earnings on this list: $82,860 ten years after enrollment, well above the $62,336 average across the 11 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, University of Maryland-College Park leads: graduates earn a median $82,860 against net price of about $15,678 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
University of Maryland-College Park has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 89%, compared with a 67% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $23,526 a year across the 11 ranked schools with cost data. Morgan State University is among the most affordable at roughly $14,985. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Communications Colleges in Maryland ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 11 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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