2026 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in District of Columbia

Communication & Media Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their communication & media studies programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in District of Columbia

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in District of Columbia

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Communication & Media Studies

1

American University
Washington, DC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

81 Communication & Media Studies Degrees Awarded

$52,640 Median Starting Salary

American University tops our 2026 ranking of the best communication & media studies schools. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. There were roughly 81 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at American University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the communication & media studies program make about $52,640 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,611. Read more about the communication & media studies program at American University

2

Catholic University Of America
Washington, DC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

12 Communication & Media Studies Degrees Awarded

$43,259 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong communication & media studies program will find one at Catholic University Of America, which ranked #2. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Catholic University Of America awarded about 12 communication & media studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $43,259. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000. Read more about the communication & media studies program at Catholic University Of America

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.

• 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.