Best Bachelor's in Communication Degrees in Kansas (2027)

Sixteen Kansas schools now offer accredited bachelor's degrees in communication, from flagship public universities to small private colleges with direct pipelines into Kansas City media. Concentrations span public relations, strategic communication, journalism, sports broadcasting, and media production, giving students a range of direct career pathways.

Net prices after financial aid range from under $13,000 to over $32,000 a year, with fully online, hybrid, and on-campus formats available statewide. Graduates from the state's top-ranked programs earn median salaries between $55,000 and $62,000 ten years after graduation, outpacing the national median for bachelor's degree holders.

Best Communication Programs in Kansas for 2027

Kansas offers a wider range of communication pathways than its size suggests, from a flagship journalism school in Lawrence to accelerated online degrees built around working adults. What separates these programs is largely what they ask students to build: a reporting portfolio, a client campaign, a broadcast reel, or clinical hours. Each entry below notes the format, the concentrations on offer, and the outcomes data worth comparing before you apply.

How We Ranked Kansas Communication Programs

A ranking methodology is the set of rules we use to decide which programs land at the top of the list, and ours rests entirely on numbers a prospective student can verify. We did not survey deans, poll alumni, or assign points based on brand recognition. Instead, every Kansas school offering a bachelor's degree in communication was scored on the same five measures, pulled from federal data.

The Five Factors We Scored

• Median earnings after completion: What graduates of the program typically earn in the years following their degree, reported at the field-of-study level where available. For a broader look at how communication degree salary varies nationwide, our companion analysis adds useful context.
• Graduate debt: The median amount students borrow to complete the degree, so high earnings are not cancelled out by high balances.
• Return-on-investment ratio: Earnings weighed against debt and net price, giving us a single figure for financial payoff.
• Completion rates: The share of full-time students who finish their degree within six years.
• Net price: The average yearly cost after grants and scholarships are applied, not the sticker tuition.

What These Numbers Are (and Are Not)

A few honest caveats matter here. Completion rates are reported institution-wide, not specifically for communication majors, so they reflect the school's overall student success rather than the department alone. Net price is an average across all aided undergraduates: your own cost will depend on your family's financial picture, residency status, and the scholarships you qualify for. Treat both as directional signals, not personal quotes.

Why We Trust the Source Data

All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and the federal IPEDS system, the same datasets policymakers and researchers use. That means our ranking is reproducible: anyone can pull the underlying numbers and check our work. It also means we are not selling you a reputation contest. If a smaller regional university outperforms a flagship on cost and payoff, it earns its spot on merit.

Kansas Communication Degree Costs Compared

Tuition varies widely across Kansas communication programs, from under $6,000 per year at public universities to over $37,000 at private colleges. The table below compares published tuition rates, average net price after aid, median graduate debt, and median earnings ten years after enrollment for each school. Working professionals should pay close attention to the net price column, which reflects what students typically pay after grants and scholarships.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Communication Degree ROI: What Kansas Graduates Actually Earn

When evaluating a communication degree in Kansas, sticker-price tuition only tells part of the story. The ROI ratio compares what graduates earn ten years out against the median debt they carry at graduation. A higher ratio means each dollar of debt is working harder for you. The chart below pairs median graduate debt with median earnings at ten years for top Kansas communication programs, so you can see which schools deliver the strongest financial return relative to what you borrow.

Online vs. On-Campus Communication Degrees in Kansas

Kansas communication students have more delivery options than ever, but each format comes with distinct trade-offs. Understanding what you gain and what you give up will help you pick the path that fits your schedule, your learning style, and your career goals.

Communication Specializations and Concentrations at Kansas Schools

A concentration is the focused track within your communication major where you go deep on a specific professional skill set, whether that's writing press releases for nonprofits, producing podcasts, analyzing organizational culture, or shooting documentary footage. Kansas schools differ widely in which tracks they offer, and choosing the right one matters more than the school's overall reputation for shaping what your first job looks like.

Public Relations and Strategic Communication

If you're aiming for agency work, corporate PR, or campaign management, two programs stand out. Emporia State University offers a dedicated Public Relations concentration within its Communication BS, structured as 21 hours of core coursework plus 15 hours in the PR focus and 12 hours of electives, building toward roles in advertising, corporate communications, event planning, and marketing. Washburn University's Mass Media major includes an Advertising and Public Relations concentration that requires an internship and emphasizes client projects with real organizations, complete with a professional portfolio at graduation. Ottawa University's online BA in Communication offers a Strategic Communication concentration and a capstone seminar in applied communication, which works well for working professionals already in marketing or comms roles.

Journalism, Multimedia, and Digital Media

For reporting, broadcasting, and digital storytelling careers, the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a BSJ with four concentration options, including Multimedia Journalism.¹ Pittsburg State University's Communication BS with a Multimedia Journalism emphasis builds practical experience through student media and covers digital, broadcast, and print reporting alongside media law and ethics. Newman University takes a hybrid approach with a Digital Marketing/Journalism concentration, useful if you want to blend reporting skills with content marketing.

Organizational, Interpersonal, and Niche Tracks

Kansas State University's Communication Studies degree offers seven specializations and requires a capstone (chosen from an internship, research project, or team experience), making it a strong fit for organizational communication, corporate training, or pre-law paths. KU's Communication Studies BA/BGS includes a Relationships and Social Interaction concentration grounded in interpersonal and intercultural communication theory.² For something more unusual, the University of Saint Mary offers a Sports Communications concentration with internship pipelines to organizations like the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Star. Fort Hays State University's Business Communication concentration sits within its Bachelor of General Studies, which suits transfer students assembling a flexible, career-focused degree plan.

If you already know you want to continue beyond a bachelor's, Kansas also has strong graduate options; explore master's in communication in Kansas programs to see how your undergraduate concentration can set you up for advanced study. Ultimately, match the concentration to the job title you want to hold in five years, not the school name on the sweatshirt.

Career Outcomes for Kansas Communication Graduates

The most frequent concern we hear from professionals considering a communication degree is whether the investment pays off in Kansas's job market. National salary averages can feel abstract, while local hiring patterns shift year to year. The good news: you don't need to guess. Kansas-specific wage data, employer lists, and insider networks are all within reach if you know where to look.

Start with the Official Data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the most authoritative starting point. Rather than searching generic terms, use the standard occupational codes for communication roles. For example, Public Relations Specialists (SOC 27-3031) earned a national median of $69,780 in 2024, and News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists (SOC 27-3023) earned $60,280 nationally the same year.¹² To see Kansas numbers, filter by state on the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics page. The broader Media and Communication Workers category (SOC 27-3099) shows a national median of $70,300.³ Locally, a 2024 survey of Communication Specialist postings in Kansas reported a median annual salary of $54,774.⁴ Keep in mind that entry-level roles will sit below these figures, while managerial and specialized positions can exceed them considerably. BLS also projects 5% growth for PR specialists nationally through 2034, with 27,600 annual openings, indicating steady employer demand.¹

Leverage School Networks

Kansas universities often publish employment outcomes and alumni employer lists that reflect regional hiring trends. Check the career services pages of schools like the University of Kansas, Kansas State, or Wichita State. These offices gather first-destination surveys and maintain directories of graduates working at local agencies, media outlets, and corporations. Some programs even offer mentoring platforms where you can directly ask alumni about their career paths and typical salary ranges. If you're curious how careers with a masters in communication build on a bachelor's foundation, exploring post-graduate salary data can help you gauge the long-term return. This kind of hyper-local insight rarely appears in national datasets and can reveal which employers consistently recruit communication majors from Kansas institutions.

Tap Professional Associations

Groups like the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Kansas chapter, the American Advertising Federation (AAF) districts covering Kansas, and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) regional chapters are goldmines. Many host job boards exclusive to members, publish local salary surveys, and organize networking events where you can meet hiring managers. Even as a student, you can often join at a reduced rate and gain access to mentorship and internship listings that never hit the public web.

Scout the Job Market

Finally, to understand what's hiring today, filter major aggregators like LinkedIn and Indeed by location (Kansas cities) and keywords like "communication specialist," "public relations," "content strategist," or "media coordinator." Note which employers appear repeatedly. In Kansas, organizations such as Spirit AeroSystems, Garmin, Hallmark, the state government, Cox Communications, and large health systems frequently post communication roles. Pay attention to required skills and listed salary ranges when available. This bottom-up view complements the statistical outlook and helps you tailor your degree specialization to real employer needs.

The Median Kansas PR Specialist Earns $50,000–$55,000 per Year

Public relations is one of the most popular career paths for communication graduates, and Kansas salaries are competitive for the region's cost of living.

What Can You Do With a Bachelor's in Communications?

Some communication graduates jump straight into specialist roles like public relations coordinator or social media manager; others pivot early toward management tracks, overseeing marketing campaigns or leading internal communications teams. The broad skill set you develop (writing, persuasion, audience analysis, digital literacy) makes you a strong candidate for either path.

Broad Career Pathways

A bachelor's in communication opens doors across industries. Common entry-level roles include: - Public relations: crafting press releases, managing image, and pitching media stories. - Marketing and advertising: developing campaigns, analyzing consumer data, and creating brand messaging. - Corporate communications: handling employee newsletters, executive memos, and crisis communication. - Journalism and media: reporting, editing, producing content for news outlets or digital platforms. - Social media management: building online communities, tracking engagement, and crafting viral content. - Event planning: coordinating conferences, product launches, and fundraisers. - Human resources and training: onboarding employees, designing professional development programs, and improving workplace culture.

In these roles, you apply the core communication curriculum every day, whether it's tailoring a message to a specific audience or measuring the impact of a campaign.

Management Roles That Pay Well

With experience, many communication graduates move into management positions that command significantly higher salaries. According to national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), marketing managers earn a median annual wage of $159,920, while public relations and fundraising managers bring in $132,420.¹ Advertising and promotions managers see a median of $140,040, and training and development managers earn $125,910. Even specialist roles like training and development specialist ($63,620 median) can lead to these top-tier positions.¹

The overall media and communication occupations category has a median wage of $70,300, well above the national median of $49,500 for all occupations.¹ This points to robust earning potential across the field. For a deeper look at how pay varies by institution, explore our analysis of communication degree salary data nationwide.

Why a Communication Degree Pays Off

There's a persistent myth that communication is a "soft" degree, but the numbers tell a different story. National surveys and federal employment data show that communication graduates are employed at rates on par with or above many other fields. The secret lies in the transferable skills: clear writing, persuasive speaking, audience research, and mass communication literacy are in constant demand across every sector. Employers value professionals who can craft strategy, build relationships, and adapt to shifting platforms. The blend of creativity and analytics embedded in a communication degree prepares you for roles that are both resilient to automation and essential to organizational success.

How to Choose the Right Communication Program in Kansas

Choosing the right communication program starts with matching a school's academic structure, admission requirements, and specialization options to your career goals and personal circumstances. Kansas offers diverse communication pathways, from journalism-focused programs to strategic communication tracks, and understanding what each university requires and provides will help you make an informed decision.

Review Official Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Admission standards and application deadlines change annually, so rely on official university sources rather than third-party summaries. Check each institution's admissions page directly:

• University of Kansas: Visit admissions.ku.edu for current GPA benchmarks, test-optional policies, and priority deadlines.
• Kansas State University: Review k-state.edu/admissions for freshman and transfer admission criteria and scholarship timelines.
• Wichita State University: Consult wichita.edu/admissions for specific requirements and rolling admission details.
• Washburn University: Go to washburn.edu/admissions to confirm application procedures and transfer credit evaluations.

These pages provide the most accurate, up-to-date information on what you need to submit and when. Contact admissions counselors directly if you have questions about prerequisite coursework or conditional admission.

Verify Accreditation and Program Quality

For journalism and mass communication programs, ACEJMC accreditation signals that a program meets rigorous professional and academic standards. Visit acejmc.ku.edu and use the search tool to identify accredited programs in Kansas. Accredited programs typically offer stronger industry connections, internship networks, and curriculum aligned with professional competencies valued by employers. If a program you are considering does not hold ACEJMC accreditation, ask advisors about professional partnerships, faculty credentials, and graduate outcomes to assess program quality.

Understand Transfer Credit Policies

Transfer students should investigate how previous coursework will apply to a communication degree. Each Kansas university maintains its own transfer equivalency database and policies, which can vary by department and change year to year. Use online transfer equivalency tools when available, but follow up with the registrar's office or academic advisor to confirm how your credits will count toward major requirements, electives, and general education. Ask whether experiential learning, AP credits, or prior professional work can reduce your time to degree. If campus-based options feel limiting, you might also explore an online communications degree to expand your choices.

Research Career Outcomes and Salary Data

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at bls.gov provides national and state-level salary and employment outlook data for communication careers like public relations specialists, media planners, and multimedia artists. Use this data to understand broader industry trends, but for program-specific placement rates, internship partnerships, and alumni networks, consult university career services offices and academic advisors. They can share details about employer relationships, capstone projects, and recent graduate outcomes that generic salary databases cannot capture. Graduates who want to deepen their expertise after completing a bachelor's degree may want to research best master's in communication programs Kansas for advanced study options.

Frequently Asked Questions About Communication Degrees in Kansas

Choosing a communication degree is a big decision, especially when you're balancing work, family, and tuition costs. Below are answers to the questions prospective Kansas students ask most often, drawn from current program data and admissions figures.

More Kansas Communication Programs to Consider

The programs ranked above represent strong communication degree options in Kansas, but they are far from the only ones. The directory below highlights additional colleges and universities across the state that award bachelor's degrees in communication, journalism, and related fields. Entries are grouped by region and listed alphabetically within each area, and each one notes the campus setting and the average net price reported for the institution.

Northeast Kansas

Wichita Area

Central and Western Kansas