[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/communication-and-media-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value communication & media studies schools.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in communication & media studies, no school beat Governors State University this year. Governors State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of University Park. Students from in state pay about $12,004 in tuition and fees. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $20,340 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Governors State University generally make around $27,071. Set against $20,340 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 48%.
Students looking for strong value in communication & media studies will find it at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #2. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $37,808. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for communication & media studies. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $26,543 in student loans. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $32,465. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $21,759. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $36,569. That is a strong return on a $21,759 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,410, while out-of-state students pay about $26,058. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $20,125. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Illinois State University generally make around $41,670. That is a strong return on a $20,125 median debt. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
Olivet Nazarene University earned the #6 position for value in communication & media studies this year. Olivet Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. Students from in state pay about $38,900 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $23,259. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Olivet Nazarene University admits about 56% of applicants.
Depaul University landed the #7 spot for communication & media studies value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,916 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $40,421. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
