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2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

40 Ranked Colleges
1,833 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 11,861 people earned their degree in communications, making the major the 65th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,002 communications graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,833 communications graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 40 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communications. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communications programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communications program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communications in the Great Lakes Region

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 141 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read full report on Communications at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #2 spot on the list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication arts degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Communications Report

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read full report on Communications at UW - Eau Claire

#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 52 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about Communications at UW - Green Bay

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s communication arts degrees to qualified students.

EIU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read more about Communications at EIU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Communications at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Western Michigan University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 1 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

Read more about Communications at WMU

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $12,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on Communications at University of Illinois at Springfield

#9

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communications at Purdue University - Main Campus

#10

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

Ashland University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication arts degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students list, Ashland has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ashland Communications Report

#23 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 198 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

Read more about Communications at Kent State University at Kent

#12

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Oakland University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication arts degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about Communications at Oakland

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Communications Report

#1 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 279 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students list, UIUC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communications at UIUC

#15

Edgewood College

Madison, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Edgewood College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Edgewood College is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s communication arts degrees to qualified students.

Edgewood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $25,601 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students per year to attend Edgewood.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communications at Edgewood

Miami University - Hamilton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Hamilton, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication arts degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Hamilton is $11,559 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read full report on Communications at Miami University - Hamilton

Franciscan University of Steubenville landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Franciscan U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Franciscan U is $24,918 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communications at Franciscan U

#18

Lakeland University

Plymouth, Wisconsin

Lakeland University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lakeland is a private not-for-profit institution located in Plymouth, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lakeland is $20,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read more about Communications at Lakeland

#19

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Taylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Taylor University is a small school located in Upland, Indiana that handed out 5 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Taylor U, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,888 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students per year to attend Taylor U.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Taylor University Communications Report

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Flint, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UM Flint is $12,734 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

Full UM Flint Communications Report

#21

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Carthage College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Carthage is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 24 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Carthage also made our “Best Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $28,191 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students per year to attend Carthage College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communications at Carthage College

University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,796 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students per year to attend University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne.

Full University of St. Francis Fort Wayne Communications Report

#23

Miami University - Middletown

Middletown, Ohio

Miami University - Middletown ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Middletown, Ohio, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s communication arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students per year to attend Miami University - Middletown.

Full Miami University - Middletown Communications Report

#24

Walsh University

North Canton, Ohio

Walsh University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Walsh University is a private not-for-profit institution located in North Canton, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Walsh University is $16,075 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication arts students.

The low 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 more about Communications at Walsh University

#25

Siena Heights University

Adrian, Michigan

Siena Heights University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Adrian, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication arts degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Siena Heights University is $21,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Arts students.

Read more about Communications at Siena Heights University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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