Humanities
What can you do with a Media and Communications degree?
Quick answer
A Media and Communications degree commonly leads to roles such as communications assistant, social media coordinator and pR assistant. Five years after graduating, Media and Communications graduates had median earnings of £27,400 (middle half: £22,300–£33,700), and 85.5% were in sustained work or further study (DfE LEO, 2023–24 tax year). The largest employer sector for Media, journalism and communications graduates is information and communication (20.2% of those in work).
Media and communications degrees mix theory with production or PR pathways. First jobs are often assistant-level. Official figures appear when an extract is loaded.
- Median pay after 1 year
- £21,600
- Median pay after 5 years
- £27,400
- In work or study after 5 years
- 85.5%
- Earnings rank at 5 years
- 129 of 146 subjects
- Top employer sector
- Information and communication
- Graduates in latest cohort
- 3,590
On this page
What jobs can you get with a Media and Communications degree?
Graduates commonly start as communications assistant, social media coordinator, pR assistant or production assistant. Media and Communications also builds skills that employers outside the obvious routes ask for, so many graduates move into roles that do not name the subject at all.
Communications assistant
Supports a comms team with drafts, clipping, and channel calendars.
Skills these adverts often ask for
- drafting
- media lists
- intranet posts
Social media coordinator
Skills these adverts often ask for
- scheduling
- community replies
- asset specs
PR assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- press lists
- event sign-in
- coverage logs
Production assistant
Skills these adverts often ask for
- call sheets
- releases
- kit lists
Role examples and skills are CourseToJob editorial guidance, not a guarantee of a job. Pay for individual roles varies by employer and location; we do not attach a salary to a role unless an official source publishes one.
Where do Media and Communications graduates work?
Five years after graduating, the largest employer sectors for Media, journalism and communications graduates in UK employment were information and communication (20.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (14.2%) and wholesale and retail (12.5%). One year after graduating, the most common sector was wholesale and retail (18.4%).
| Industry sector | Share of graduates in work | Median earnings in that sector |
|---|---|---|
| Information and communication | 20.2% | £31,800 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 14.2% | £31,500 |
| Wholesale and retail | 12.5% | £25,600 |
| Education | 9.2% | £27,800 |
| Administrative and support services | 8.1% | £28,400 |
| Health and social work | 5.7% | £25,300 |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food) | 5.2% | £23,100 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 4.4% | £27,800 |
Most common specific industries
- Motion picture; video and television programme activities — 6.9% of graduates in work, median £31,100
- Advertising — 5% of graduates in work, median £31,500
- Computer programming; consultancy and related activities — 4.4% of graduates in work, median £31,800
- Management consultancy activities — 4.2% of graduates in work, median £32,900
- Not known — 4% of graduates in work, median £13,900
- Publishing of books; periodicals and other publishing activities — 3.4% of graduates in work, median £30,400
How much do Media and Communications graduates earn?
Official dataMedia and Communications graduates had median earnings of £21,600 one year after graduating and £27,400 five years after graduating in the 2023–24 tax year. The median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at five years.
| Years after graduating | Median earnings | Middle half earned | In work or further study | All-subject median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year after graduatingGraduated 2021/2022 | £21,600DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £15,700–£25,300 | 84.8% | £26,400 |
| 3 years after graduatingGraduated 2019/2020 | £25,600DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £20,900–£30,400 | 85.8% | £30,000 |
| 5 years after graduatingGraduated 2017/2018 | £27,400DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £22,300–£33,700 | 85.5% | £33,700 |
| 10 years after graduatingGraduated 2012/2013 | £32,600DfE LEO, Tax year 2023-24 | £24,200–£43,900 | 85.8% | — |
How one-year earnings have changed
Which universities have the highest-earning Media, journalism and communications graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 Media, journalism and communications graduates measured, Loughborough University had the highest median earnings five years after graduating (£40,300), followed by Goldsmiths, University of London (£36,600) and King's College London (£32,900).
| University | Median earnings | Graduates measured |
|---|---|---|
| Loughborough University | £40,300 | 55 |
| Goldsmiths, University of London | £36,600 | 80 |
| King's College London | £32,900 | 55 |
| Newcastle University | £32,400 | 70 |
| Cardiff University | £32,200 | 110 |
| University of Greenwich | £32,200 | 55 |
| University of Leeds | £32,200 | 95 |
| University of Sussex | £32,200 | 115 |
| Bournemouth University | £31,800 | 390 |
| University of Portsmouth | £31,800 | 95 |
Is Media and Communications the right degree for you?
EditorialYou may enjoy it if
- You want to study audiences, platforms, and messages together.
- You like making things (copy, cuts, social) and then explaining why.
- You can take editorial feedback without collapsing.
It may not suit you if
- You expected a guaranteed on-air job.
- You dislike theory essays as well as production deadlines.
- You wanted a pure computer-science degree.
Interview questions for Media and Communications graduate roles
EditorialCommunications, PR and production-assistant interviews usually test accuracy under a deadline and how you work with other people’s words. These prompts are editorial illustrations.
A draft quote from a spokesperson does not match the facts you have. What next?
What it tests. You check before it goes out.
You have three hours to turn a long report into a social post and an email. How do you start?
What it tests. Audience and the one sentence that is actually new.
A contributor wants to change a piece after it is scheduled. How do you handle that?
What it tests. Process, versioning, and who has sign-off.
How would you credit an image you did not take?
What it tests. Rights and attribution as non-optional.
The live event overruns. What do you protect in the run-of-show?
What it tests. Production judgement: safety, the guest, and the audience.
Most Media and Communications courses do not use a standard admissions interview. If a university invites you, it will say so — see UCAS on undergraduate interview invitations.
Illustrative question types for the roles above, not questions from a named employer.
Find Media and Communications graduate jobs
Searched by the entry-level roles aboveSearch UK vacancies connected to media and communications. These are role matches, not guaranteed graduate-level jobs: read the experience, qualifications and work-permission requirements in each full advert.
Salary filters and ordering use the provider’s data, which can include estimates. Cards below show employer-listed pay only. Cached searches can be up to 30 minutes old; the employer’s advert confirms availability.
Checking vacancies for Communications assistant…
Prepare your application with graduate cv examples, student cv examples, the free CV builder and the application tracker.
Is there an apprenticeship alternative to Media and Communications?
EditorialDigital marketer and junior journalist-style apprenticeships exist in some employers. This note is editorial.
Research exact university programmes
We have not added verified programme records for this subject yet. Use the official university catalogue for current courses, fees and entry requirements.
Explore the programme finder · Compare programme details · Research international scholarships
Make your next move
Planning to study Media and Communications in the UK?
Check the exact programme, entry requirements and total cost before applying. International applicants should also confirm qualification equivalence, English-language evidence and visa requirements.
Find UK study guidance for your country · Compare international course-fee examples
Explore the international student guide · Build your study budget and checklist
Universities for Media and Communications in our index
135 universitiesAn editorial provision index, not a live UCAS catalogue: confirm current courses on UCAS. CourseToJob is not UCAS.Open Media and Communications in the full university explorer.
Show all 135 universities
Name, city, or a CourseToJob subject. Nothing is stored.
Nation
No university matches that search.
Undergraduate applications are made on UCAS, not here.
Media and Communications degree: frequently asked questions
What jobs can you do with a Media and Communications degree?
Common starting roles include communications assistant, social media coordinator, pR assistant and production assistant. Five years after graduating, the most common sectors for Media, journalism and communications graduates in work were information and communication (20.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (14.2%) and wholesale and retail (12.5%). These are examples, not guaranteed jobs: your experience, location and further training matter.
How much do Media and Communications graduates earn in the UK?
DfE Longitudinal Education Outcomes data for the 2023–24 tax year shows median earnings for UK-domiciled Media and Communications graduates of £21,600 one year after graduating, £25,600 three years after graduating, £27,400 five years after graduating and £32,600 ten years after graduating. Each figure describes a different graduating cohort, not one person's pay rise, and it is gross pay for those in sustained employment, not a starting salary offer.
Is a Media and Communications degree worth it?
It depends on what you want to do. On the official data, 85.5% of Media and Communications graduates were in sustained employment or further study five years after graduating, with median earnings of £27,400. For comparison, the median across all first-degree graduates of GB higher education institutions was £33,700 at the same point. That places Media and Communications 129 of 146 subject groups by five-year median earnings. Earnings are only one factor: enjoyment of the subject, accreditation and the route into your target job matter too.
Which universities have the highest-earning Media, journalism and communications graduates?
Among universities in our index with at least 50 graduates measured, the highest five-year median earnings for Media, journalism and communications were at Loughborough University (£40,300), Goldsmiths, University of London (£36,600) and King's College London (£32,900). These figures reflect entry grades, subject mix and where graduates work, so they are not a measure of teaching quality.
Can international students study Media and Communications in the UK?
Yes, most UK universities accept international applicants, but entry requirements, recognised qualifications, English-language evidence and overseas tuition fees depend on the university and programme. Check the university course page and international admissions team, then check visa requirements on GOV.UK.
Skilled Worker visas
Sponsorship depends on the job's occupation code and the current Skilled Worker rules, not on a subject's median pay. A Skilled Worker decision uses the higher of the general threshold and the SOC going rate. Subject LEO medians are not sufficient. Read the Skilled Worker job rules on GOV.UK.