Communication & Journalism at Harrisburg Area Community College

Harrisburg, PA · Public · Associate Degree · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
46 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
50
Optimistic
46
Base Case
39
Pessimistic
Earnings $41,282/yr (2% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (65% exposed)
Job Market Medium (25,900 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Communication & Journalism graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption
Base Case
Gradual AI
Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $473K $373K $266K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 32.1x 25.3x 18.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 20.8x 16.4x 11.7x
Viable Career Paths 3 of 3 3 of 3 2 of 3
TradeSchoolWorth Score 50 46 39

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$14,746
Out-of-state: $22,800
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,750
4.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Career Paths

Where Communication & Journalism graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 25,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Communications teachers, postsecondary $77,800 2,700 +2.1% 43%
Editors $75,260 9,800 +0.6% 65%
Writers and authors $72,270 13,400 +3.6% 89%

Compare & Explore

Communication & Journalism Overview

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Communication & Journalism at Harrisburg Area Community College?
This program scores 46/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 50 (optimistic) to 39 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Communication & Journalism career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Communication & Journalism graduates retain 3 of 3 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $266,491 (pessimistic) to $473,252 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Communication & Journalism graduates?
The career paths mapped to Communication & Journalism have roughly 25,900 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Communication & Journalism at Harrisburg Area Community College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 25.3x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 18.1x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this trade is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2026.