[Other Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/other-communication-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 5 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value other communication & media studies schools.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other communication & media studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Southern Illinois University Carbondale, our #1 best value for other communication & media studies in Illinois. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $26,543 in student loans. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $32,465 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in other communication & media studies will find it at Northeastern Illinois University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $12,383 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,726. Typical student debt for other communication & media studies graduates is $15,630. Early-career other communication & media studies graduates make about $32,538. That is a strong return on a $15,630 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwestern University earned it the #3 place for other communication & media studies. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $18,112 in student loans. Early-career other communication & media studies graduates make about $69,611. Set against $18,112 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #4 place for other communication & media studies. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $22,916 in student loans. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $55,390 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Loyola University Chicago earned it the #5 place for other communication & media studies. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the other communication & media studies program here. Other Communication & Media Studies graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $31,495 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
