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2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid

168 Ranked Colleges
10,266 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 10,266 people earned their degree in communication and media studies, making the major the 82nd most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 168 colleges that offer 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 446 degrees to qualified ’s media studies students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,469 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 189 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our media studies students with aid list, UF has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for media studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Florida Communication & Media Studies Report

3
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Out of the 168 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #3 spot on the list. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 164 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,158 for media studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter Communication & Media Studies Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 36 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our media studies students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Media Studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 456 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for media studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

6

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 145 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,346 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend USF Tampa.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Communication & Media Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 8 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Media Studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,743 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

9

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,302 for media studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

10

With a ranking of #10, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 253 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,298 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend Florida International University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at FIU

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,232 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UMSL

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Media Studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Communication & Media Studies Report

13
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 128 degrees to qualified ’s media studies students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,469 for media studies students with aid per year to attend QC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Queens College

14
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York

Nassau Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Nassau Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Garden City, New York. It awarded 18 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Nassau Community College is $4,932 for media studies students with aid.

Full Nassau Community College Communication & Media Studies Report

15

University of California - Berkeley landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s media studies degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our media studies students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for Media Studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UC Berkeley

16
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 14 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,257 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Georgia.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UGA

17
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky

Berea College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Berea College is located in Berea, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,222 for media studies students with aid per year to attend Berea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Berea College

18

Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Borough of Manhattan Community College is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 101 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Borough of Manhattan Community College is $5,646 for Media Studies students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Borough of Manhattan Community College

19

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 264 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list.

The low undergrad 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 ASU - Skysong

20

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 133 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $10,993 for Media Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

21

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 98 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,089 for Media Studies students with aid per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UWF

22

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 95 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $13,474 for media studies students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

23

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 79 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNC Greensboro is $11,629 for media studies students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UNC Greensboro

24

California State University - San Marcos ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 26 ’s media studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,218 for media studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 CSUSM Communication & Media Studies Report

25

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified ’s media studies students in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato excels when it comes to media studies quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for media studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Minnesota State Mankato

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value Media Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Notes and References

References

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