2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,349 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,317 and $25,730 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,125 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 130 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Northwestern University Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 242 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 290 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 317 students in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 472 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 455 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 485 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 103 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Indiana University - Northwest came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UW - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Communication & Media Studies at UW - River Falls
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 128 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 52 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Communication & Media Studies Report
Indiana University - East came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU East is $3,622 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IU East
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Parkside
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Communication & Media Studies Report
Oakland University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Oakland
Purdue University Northwest came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 69 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue Northwest is $6,911 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 62 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Indiana University - South Bend landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - South Bend
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Albion College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Albion, Michigan, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Albion College is $12,032 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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