Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k)

185 Ranked Colleges
9,341 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Communication & Media Studies is the 74th most popular major in the country with 10,951 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,341 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 185 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k)

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 284 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UC Berkeley

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 418 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

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

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 185 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 38 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC Communication & Media Studies Report

Top 15% 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 #4 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 245 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,298 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida International University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Florida International University

#5

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Hunter is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 166 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $6,894 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter College

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 470 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $12,060 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Berea is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berea, Kentucky. It awarded 24 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea College is $4,259 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Berea College

Top 20% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 182 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, USF Tampa also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $9,809 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UWF is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 104 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $7,511 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of West Florida

#11

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. QC is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $7,222 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Queens College

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,466 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 124 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $12,470 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#14

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Florida State College at Jacksonville ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State College at Jacksonville is $6,300 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Florida State College at Jacksonville Communication & Media Studies Report

#15

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#6 in overall quality

Pitzer College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pitzer is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitzer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,939 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pitzer.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Pitzer College Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $6,993 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Lehman

#17

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 27 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,068 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at MSU Texas

#23 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 40 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $14,451 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Minnesota State Mankato

#19

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Top 25% in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,373 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Cloud State University

#20

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

Denison University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Denison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,652 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Denison.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Denison University

#21

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas
#12 in overall quality

Trinity University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Trinity University is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity University is $18,012 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Trinity U

#22

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 5 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,505 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Houston.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Houston

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 California State University - San Marcos

#24

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $14,250 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas State Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
Top 20% in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

Winona State excels when it comes to media studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Winona State University is $15,140 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Winona State

#25

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#24 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 199 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Skysong is $15,891 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at ASU - Skysong

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#28

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You