56
Colleges
367,133
Bachelor's Degrees
$23,288
Avg Cost*
In 2021-2022, 5,415,716 communication & media studies students received their bachelor's degree, making the major the #5 most popular in the country. Out of all those awarded degrees, 367,133 went to undergraduates in the Plains States region of the United States.
This year's Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Plains States Region ranking looked at 56 colleges that offer a bachelor's in communications. To us, 'best value' doesn't just mean the school with the lowest overall costs. We are more focused on communications schools that offer a high quality education at a price lower that other schools of similar academic excellence.
To determine the average cost, we look at total expenses - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, and other related expenses - and then subtract the average financial award a student receives. Knowing this amount can help you determine how much you may have to borrow in loans or take out of savings. Depending on your income and other factors, the cost for you to attend a particular school may be more or less.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Value Communications Schools list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
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Featured Communication & Media Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Communication
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.
Learn More
MA in Communication
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
Learn More
The colleges and universities below are the best for the money for communications majors.
University of South Dakota landed the #1 spot in our 2024 rankings for best value communication & media studies schools. Located in the town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. On top of its placing in our value rankings, USD also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes the average student at USD about 4.3 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $20,747. This means that the average student pays around $89,835 to get a bachelor’s degree from USD. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of South Dakota
The #2 spot in this year's ranking belongs to South Dakota State University. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. On top of its placing in our value rankings, South Dakota State also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes the average student at South Dakota State about 4.4 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,337. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State is $89,483. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Wayne State College earned the #3 spot in our 2024 rankings. Located in the town of Wayne, WSC is a public college with a small student population.
At WSC, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $18,041. This means that the average student pays around $78,839 to get a bachelor’s degree from WSC. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wayne State College
University of North Dakota earned the #4 spot in our 2024 rankings. UND is a fairly large public school located in the city of Grand Forks.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at UND to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $22,664. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UND be around $103,348. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Dakota
The #5 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Minnesota State University - Mankato. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school located in the city of Mankato. Minnesota State Mankato also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list, coming in at #7.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at Minnesota State Mankato to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,109. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State Mankato be around $100,817. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato Report
Winona State University landed the #6 spot in our 2024 rankings for best value communication & media studies schools. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Winona.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Winona State is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $22,155. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Winona State is about $97,925. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Winona State University Report
The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Saint Cloud State University. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud. On top of its placing in our value rankings, St. Cloud State University also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at St. Cloud State University to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,722. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University is $100,138. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Cloud State University
Missouri State University - Springfield earned the #8 spot in our 2024 rankings. Missouri State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
At Missouri State, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $23,236. This means that the average student pays around $104,562 to get a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Missouri State University - Springfield Report
University of Northern Iowa landed the #9 spot in our 2024 rankings for best value communication & media studies schools. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average student at UNI graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,379. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UNI is $107,024. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Northwest Missouri State University landed the #10 spot in our 2024 rankings for best value communication & media studies schools. Northwest is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Maryville.
At Northwest, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $17,757. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Northwest is $78,308. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwest Missouri State University
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