Best Communication and Media Studies Schools in New York

New York has 60 colleges offering Communication and Media Studies programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 3,929 recent graduates. Graduates earn $33,776 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $33,406.

School choice matters significantly: Cornell University graduates earn $55,813 while Ithaca College graduates earn $20,140 — a $35,673 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

Schools in NY

$33,776

NY Avg. Earnings

$33,406

National Avg.

777

Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Communication and Media Studies in New York

Public Schools (22)

$32,586

avg. 2yr earnings

Private Schools (38)

$34,456

avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $1,870 more in early earnings on average, but typically cost more. Compare net price to determine which offers better ROI.

Communication and Media Studies Schools in New York, Ranked by Earnings

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$55,813

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $44,071

Graduates: 70

Acceptance: 8.2%

Fordham University

Bronx, NY · Private

$44,610

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $42,213

Graduates: 265

Acceptance: 56.3%

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$41,087

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $39,947

Graduates: 315

Acceptance: 64.7%

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private

$42,961

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $38,318

Graduates: 77

Acceptance: 78.5%

Hobart William Smith Colleges

Geneva, NY · Private

$32,569

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,105

Graduates: 52

Acceptance: 57.3%

St Lawrence University

Canton, NY · Private

$39,729

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,681

Graduates: 40

Acceptance: 58.5%

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

New York, NY · Public

$47,260

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $51,317

Graduates: 35

Acceptance: 38.6%

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY · Private

$33,281

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,905

Graduates: 109

Acceptance: 41.7%

CUNY City College

New York, NY · Public

$39,663

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,237

Graduates: 120

Acceptance: 58.1%

#10

Pace University

New York, NY · Private

$39,774

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,313

Graduates: 173

Acceptance: 77.1%

#11

SUNY College at Geneseo

Geneseo, NY · Public

$32,711

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,563

Graduates: 103

Acceptance: 63.5%

#12

State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, NY · Public

$35,060

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,536

Graduates: 129

Acceptance: 50.7%

#13

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY · Public

$34,793

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,834

Graduates: 205

Acceptance: 69.3%

#14

Marymount Manhattan College

New York, NY · Private

$36,848

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,894

Graduates: 61

Acceptance: 78.9%

#15

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY · Public

$29,322

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,936

Graduates: 54

Acceptance: 71.3%

#16

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY · Private

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY · Public

$30,616

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,599

Graduates: 73

Acceptance: N/A

#18

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY · Public

$35,518

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $27,694

Graduates: 62

Acceptance: 68.5%

#19

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY · Public

$30,409

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,613

Graduates: 77

Acceptance: 58.7%

#20

St. John's University-New York

Queens, NY · Private

$37,568

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,012

Graduates: 148

Acceptance: 79.7%

#21

Manhattanville University

Purchase, NY · Private

$33,993

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,987

Graduates: 44

Acceptance: 84.7%

#22

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York, NY · Public

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $36,196

Graduates: 43

Acceptance: 50.5%

#23

University at Albany

Albany, NY · Public

N/A

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,460

Graduates: 128

Acceptance: 69.9%

#24

Iona University

New Rochelle, NY · Private

$35,327

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,114

Graduates: 113

Acceptance: 91.1%

#25

St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY · Private

$33,993

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,940

Graduates: 55

Acceptance: 67.8%

#26

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$33,959

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $18,701

Graduates: 18

Acceptance: 17.7%

#27

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY · Public

$28,960

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,755

Graduates: 98

Acceptance: 70.2%

#28

St. Thomas Aquinas College

Sparkill, NY · Private

$39,009

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $28,236

Graduates: 19

Acceptance: 82.2%

#29

CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY · Public

$34,847

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $31,321

Graduates: 61

Acceptance: 53.7%

#30

Molloy University

Rockville Centre, NY · Private

$35,594

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,089

Graduates: 38

Acceptance: 75.6%

#31

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY · Public

$33,993

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,241

Graduates: 151

Acceptance: 54.0%

#32

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY · Private

$34,157

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,425

Graduates: 41

Acceptance: 81.8%

#33

Nazareth University

Rochester, NY · Private

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, NY · Private

$33,382

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,103

Graduates: 71

Acceptance: 73.4%

#35

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY · Public

$28,105

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,387

Graduates: 82

Acceptance: 75.2%

#36

SUNY Buffalo State University

Buffalo, NY · Public

$29,866

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,844

Graduates: 85

Acceptance: 75.9%

#37

University of Mount Saint Vincent

Bronx, NY · Private

$35,416

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $21,885

Graduates: 35

Acceptance: 84.6%

#38

Adelphi University

Garden City, NY · Private

$27,669

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $30,049

Graduates: 46

Acceptance: 77.5%

#39

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, NY · Public

$25,658

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,456

Graduates: 75

Acceptance: 55.4%

#40

St. Francis College

Brooklyn, NY · Private

$31,042

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $24,738

Graduates: 73

Acceptance: N/A

#41

The New School

New York, NY · Private

$34,420

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,021

Graduates: 50

Acceptance: 62.5%

#42

Mercy University

Dobbs Ferry, NY · Private

$17,950

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,554

Graduates: 33

Acceptance: 85.5%

#43

Dominican University New York

Orangeburg, NY · Private

$32,391

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $32,036

Graduates: 22

Acceptance: 78.8%

#44

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY · Private

$30,305

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,409

Graduates: 55

Acceptance: 75.3%

#45

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, NY · Public

$30,771

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,553

Graduates: 92

Acceptance: 84.6%

#46

SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase, NY · Public

$28,236

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,852

Graduates: 96

Acceptance: 72.8%

#47

Houghton University

Houghton, NY · Private

$24,872

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $23,222

Graduates: 27

Acceptance: 92.7%

#48

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$45,037

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $50,327

Graduates: 18

Acceptance: 9.4%

#49

Utica University

Utica, NY · Private

SUNY College at Potsdam

Potsdam, NY · Public

$36,437

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $29,152

Graduates: 45

Acceptance: 85.5%

#51

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY · Private

Touro University

New York, NY · Private

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY · Public

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY · Private

New York Institute of Technology

Old Westbury, NY · Private

Alfred University

Alfred, NY · Private

Niagara University

Niagara University, NY · Private

$28,960

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $26,629

Graduates: 29

Acceptance: 85.3%

#58

Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, NY · Private

SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill

Cobleskill, NY · Public

$22,824

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,095

Graduates: 18

Acceptance: 83.3%

#60

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY · Private

$20,140

2yr Earnings

Acceptance: 69.9%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Communication and Media Studies in New York?

Cornell University ranks #1 for Communication and Media Studies in New York with median graduate earnings of $55,813 within two years of graduation. There are 60 schools offering Communication and Media Studies programs in the state.

How much do Communication and Media Studies graduates earn in New York?

Communication and Media Studies graduates in New York earn an average of $33,776 within two years of graduation. This is 1% above the national average of $33,406 for this major.

What is the hardest Communication and Media Studies school to get into in New York?

Cornell University is the most selective Communication and Media Studies program in New York with an acceptance rate of 8.2%. The average acceptance rate across Communication and Media Studies programs in the state is 66.8%.

Should I attend a public or private school for Communication and Media Studies in New York?

In New York, private Communication and Media Studies programs produce average earnings of $34,456 vs $32,586 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 22 public and 38 private options in the state.

Other Popular Majors in New York

Marine Transportation $73,446 Computer Science $71,535 Computer Engineering $71,263 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology $70,176 Industrial Engineering $69,459 Construction Management $67,560 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $66,924 Materials Engineering $66,884

All colleges in New York →

Communication and Media Studies in Other States

Pennsylvania California Texas Ohio Illinois North Carolina Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Wisconsin Florida Virginia View All →

Get Communication and Media Studies Career Insights

We're building major-specific salary reports with ROI analysis by school. Be the first to get yours.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release.