If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Union County College, our #1 best value for communication & media studies in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Cranford, Union County College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,280, compared with $9,500 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $7,350 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Union County College earn a median of $21,484 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in communication & media studies will find it at William Paterson University Of New Jersey, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Wayne, William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,704, compared with $25,344 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $26,439. Communication & Media Studies graduates of William Paterson University Of New Jersey earn a median of $31,870 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,439 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/communication-and-media-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
