Home › West Virginia University › Communication & Journalism

Communication & Journalism at West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
52 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
59
Optimistic
52
Base Case
42
Pessimistic
Earnings $38,660/yr (12% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (65% exposed)
Job Market Medium (25,900 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Communication & Journalism graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $791K $436K $250K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 20.5x 11.3x 6.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.2x 4.0x 2.3x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 2 of 3
DegreeWorth Score 59 52 42

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$38,592
Out-of-state: $109,440
Median Debt at Graduation
$24,478
7.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$68,006
76% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Communication & Journalism graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 25,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
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%

Compare & Explore

Communication & Journalism at Other Schools

Wisconsin Lutheran College ($44,511) University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ($43,969) Ohio State University-Main Campus ($41,040) Grand Valley State University ($40,415) University of Nebraska at Omaha ($39,400) Berry College ($36,931) California Lutheran University ($34,432) Farmingdale State College ($33,836)

Other Majors at West Virginia University

Mining and Mineral Engineering ($85,897) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($79,662) Computer Engineering ($76,314) Industrial Engineering ($75,606) Computer Science ($74,159) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($72,210) Mechanical Engineering ($71,504) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($71,298)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Communication & Journalism at West Virginia University?
This program scores 52/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 59 (optimistic) to 42 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Communication & Journalism career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Communication & Journalism graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $249,565 (pessimistic) to $791,304 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Communication & Journalism graduates?
The career paths mapped to Communication & Journalism have roughly 25,900 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Communication & Journalism at West Virginia University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 11.3x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 6.5x. 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.