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Communication and Media Studies at Western Wyoming Community College

WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 09.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication and Media Studies degree from Western Wyoming Community College earn a median salary of $48,487 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,081. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.7 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$31,637

Typical Career

$48,487

Top Performers

$69,154

Estimated break-even: 16.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$323

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,041. Most students can comfortably afford about a $323 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.4%
Educational Services 14.2%
Retail Trade 7.9%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$52,081

Nominal: $48,487 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

16.7 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,311 $33,128 $55,464
5 Years After Graduation $31,637 $48,487 $69,154
10 Years After Graduation $36,903 $51,694 $102,529

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $48,487 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,487 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310) = $52,081 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Communication and Media Studies program at Western Wyoming Community College can expect a steady earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings are reported at $33,128, which increases to $48,487 after five years and reaches $51,694 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $52,080.56, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite the cost of living in Wyoming being slightly lower than the national average.

The primary industries employing graduates are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for a significant 30.4% of placements, followed closely by another segment within the same industry at 27.4%, and Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction at 15.3%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 16.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears reasonable, particularly for those entering the robust health care sector. Overall, students can expect a favorable career outlook with solid earning potential in key industries.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.