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Communication studies professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communication studies professor. Communication studies professors usually study communication, business, or music. 53% of communication studies professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 132 real communication studies professor resumes to see exactly what communication studies professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for communication studies professors are the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

There are also many online communication studies professor courses to help get the education required to be a communication studies professor.

What education do you need to become a communication studies professor?

What degree do you need to be a communication studies professor?

The most common degree for communication studies professors is bachelor's degree, with 53% of communication studies professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Doctorate, 13%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a communication studies professor?

You should major in communication to become a communication studies professor. 28% of communication studies professors major in communication. Other common majors for a communication studies professor include business and music.

Most common colleges for communication studies professors

Communication studies professors often get their degrees at Air Force Institute of Technology, Illinois State University, and Western Washington University. Here are the most common colleges for communication studies professors in the US based on their resumes.
Communication studies professor common collegePercentages
Air Force Institute of Technology11.11%
Illinois State University11.11%
Western Washington University7.41%
Webster University7.41%
University of Georgia7.41%

Best majors for communication studies professors

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication28.2%
2Business8.5%
3Music7.0%
4Criminal Justice5.6%
5History4.2%

Best colleges for communication studies professors

The best colleges for communication studies professors are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

A communication studies professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for communication studies professors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become communication studies professors.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

20 best online courses for communication studies professors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for communication studies professors

The most affordable schools for communication studies professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for communication studies professors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for communication studies professors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communication studies professors

The hardest universities for communication studies professors to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for communication studies professors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for communication studies professors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communication studies professors

The easiest schools for communication studies professors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communication studies professor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for communication studies professors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average communication studies professor salary by education level

According to our data, communication studies professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $76,398 annually. Communication studies professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $56,498.
Communication studies professor education levelCommunication studies professor salary
Master's Degree$56,498
Doctorate Degree$76,398

Communication studies professor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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