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Graphic Communications at University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
40 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
46
Optimistic
40
Base Case
37
Pessimistic
Earnings $36,419/yr (27% vs median)
AI Risk High (49% exposed)
Job Market Large (32,300 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Graphic Communications graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $525K $290K $221K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 13.5x 7.5x 5.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.2x 3.4x 2.6x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 6 5 of 6 3 of 6
DegreeWorth Score 46 40 37

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$38,912
Out-of-state: $85,088
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,184
6.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$49,336
35% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Graphic Communications graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 32,300 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Special effects artists and animators $99,800 5,000 +1.6% 52%
Desktop publishers $53,620 400 -12.4% 65%
Prepress technicians and workers $47,300 2,800 -14.6% 44%
Printing press operators $45,160 13,700 -8.1% 29%
Etchers and engravers $40,450 900 -0.7% 14%
Data entry keyers $39,850 9,500 -25.9% 89%

Compare & Explore

Graphic Communications at Other Schools

Baker College ($74,387) Art Center College of Design ($67,010) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($49,029) University of Wisconsin-Stout ($48,744) University of Maryland Global Campus ($46,581) Ringling College of Art and Design ($44,048) Carroll University ($40,825) New Jersey Institute of Technology ($39,134)

Other Majors at University of Northern Iowa

Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians ($75,667) Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians ($69,122) Construction Management ($68,698) Computer Science ($65,960) Accounting and Related Services ($61,088) Management Information Systems and Services ($58,197) Real Estate ($56,866) Finance and Financial Management Services ($52,759)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Graphic Communications at University of Northern Iowa?
This program scores 40/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 46 (optimistic) to 37 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Graphic Communications career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Graphic Communications graduates retain 5 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $220,503 (pessimistic) to $524,699 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Graphic Communications graduates?
The career paths mapped to Graphic Communications have roughly 32,300 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Graphic Communications at University of Northern Iowa worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 7.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 5.7x. 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.