[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong communication & media studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for communication & media studies students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communication & media studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked Arizona State University the best value for a degree in communication & media studies in Arizona. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $56,309 early in their careers. Set against $22,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in communication & media studies will find it at University Of Arizona, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,573 in tuition and fees, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $19,750. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from University Of Arizona generally make around $42,993. Set against $19,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
