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Communication and Media Studies at Otterbein University

Westerville, OH · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
36 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
39
Optimistic
36
Base Case
30
Pessimistic
Earnings $31,207/yr (-11% vs median)
AI Risk High (55% exposed)
Job Market Large (83,300 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Communication and Media Studies graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $408K $302K $216K
Earnings Multiple 2.9x 2.2x 1.5x
Viable Career Paths 10 of 10 10 of 10 7 of 10
DegreeWorth Score 39 36 30

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition
$139,596
Median Debt at Graduation
$18,500
7.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$39,136
25% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Communication and Media Studies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 83,300 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Public relations managers $138,520 6,600 +5.0% 55%
Fundraising managers $123,480 3,600 +4.2% 56%
Communications teachers, postsecondary $77,800 2,700 +2.1% 43%
Editors $75,260 9,800 +0.6% 65%
Writers and authors $72,270 13,400 +3.6% 89%
Media and communication workers, all other $71,770 3,000 +2.7% 0%
Public relations specialists $69,780 27,600 +4.8% 59%
Fundraisers $66,490 10,200 +4.3% 52%

Compare & Explore

Communication and Media Studies at Other Schools

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($62,183) Cornell University ($62,182) Ashford University ($58,089) CUNY Graduate School and University Center ($57,782) Boston College ($55,162) University of Maryland Global Campus ($53,513) University of Pennsylvania ($53,022) Villanova University ($52,294)

Other Majors at Otterbein University

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($69,287) Systems Engineering ($63,243) Finance and Financial Management Services ($55,364) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($44,689) Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($38,651) Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($37,430) Health and Physical Education/Fitness ($31,851) Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($30,581)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Communication and Media Studies at Otterbein University?
This program scores 36/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 39 (optimistic) to 30 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Communication and Media Studies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Communication and Media Studies graduates retain 10 of 10 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $215,524 (pessimistic) to $407,935 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Communication and Media Studies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Communication and Media Studies have roughly 83,300 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Communication and Media Studies at Otterbein University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 2.2x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 1.5x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.