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2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

58 Ranked Colleges
3,262 Degrees Awarded
$9,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 10,951 people earned their degree in communication and media studies, making the major the 74th most popular in the United States.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,821 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,262 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

The media studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 418 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 245 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $5,002 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full FIU Communication & Media Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 182 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $3,950 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Communication & Media Studies Report

#4

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Berea College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Berea is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berea, Kentucky. It awarded 24 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Berea also took the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Berea is $5,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Berea College

#5

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of West Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 104 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UWF also took the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,140 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The University of West Florida

With a ranking of #6, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. FSCJ is a large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 13 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,126 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FSCJ.

Full Florida State College at Jacksonville Communication & Media Studies Report

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $8,853 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and it awarded 237 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Louisiana State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University is $8,433 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

#9

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#22 in overall quality

McNeese State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McNeese State University is a public institution located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McNeese not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend McNeese State University is $11,892 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full McNeese Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 137 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

NC A&T not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,493 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.

Full NC A&T Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $12,426 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#13

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Asheville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville is $8,063 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNCA Communication & Media Studies Report

#25 in overall quality

University of Louisiana at Lafayette came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a fairly large public school situated in Lafayette, Louisiana. It awarded 34 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UL Lafayette also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UL Lafayette is $9,621 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UL Lafayette

Louisiana State University - Alexandria did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Louisiana State University - Alexandria is a small public school situated in Alexandria, Louisiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,487 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University - Alexandria.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Louisiana State University - Alexandria

#16

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia
#20 in overall quality

Valdosta State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valdosta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

VSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Valdosta State University is $11,780 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at VSU

#17

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 229 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,768 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend VCU.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

#18

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina

With a ranking of #18, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Pembroke is a public institution located in Pembroke, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,282 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UNC Pembroke

#19

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

With a ranking of #19, East Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Johnson City, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 82 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,632 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend East Tennessee State University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at East Tennessee State University

#20

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, Emory and Henry College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory and Henry College is located in Emory, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,366 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory & Henry College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Emory and Henry College

#21

Nicholls State University

Thibodaux, Louisiana

Nicholls State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It awarded 30 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Nicholls State University is $9,968 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Nicholls State University

#22

University of North Alabama

Florence, Alabama

University of North Alabama did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. UNA is a medium-sized school located in Florence, Alabama that handed out 40 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,925 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNA.

Full University of North Alabama Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UofM is $10,256 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Memphis Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama
#4 in overall quality

Auburn University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Auburn, Alabama, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Auburn, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,394 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Auburn.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Auburn

#25

Johnson University

Knoxville, Tennessee

Johnson University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Johnson University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,968 for southeast region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johnson University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Johnson University Communication & Media Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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