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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

150 Ranked Colleges
8,938 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 10,538 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,350 and $24,529 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,938 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 150 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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 Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic Region

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $3,181 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UPenn

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Out of the 150 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #2 spot on the list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 90 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $7,484 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Cornell Communication & Media Studies Report

#3

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 352 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,054 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMCP.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Communication & Media Studies Report

#4

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 167 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $320 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter College.

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 Hunter Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $1,858 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Baruch College Communication & Media Studies Report

#6

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $704 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CCNY Communication & Media Studies Report

#7

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Farmingdale State College is a fairly large school located in Farmingdale, New York that handed out 75 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $3,469 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale

#8

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $1,255 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Queens College Communication & Media Studies Report

#9

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Brooklyn College

#10

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 63 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $234 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lehman

#11

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Towson is a large school located in Towson, Maryland that handed out 357 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Towson, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $9,206 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Towson.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Towson

#12

St Lawrence University

Canton, New York

St Lawrence University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Canton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Lawrence has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $11,916 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Lawrence.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Full St. Lawrence Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

With a ranking of #13, College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSI is located in Staten Island, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend College of Staten Island CUNY is $3,109 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at CSI

#14

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Salisbury, Maryland, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Salisbury also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $11,432 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Salisbury University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Salisbury University Communication & Media Studies Report

#15

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

With a ranking of #15, University of Delaware did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $11,487 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Delaware Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Maryland - Baltimore County ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $10,820 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UMBC Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

SUNY Old Westbury did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. SUNY Old Westbury is a public institution located in Old Westbury, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Old Westbury is $6,772 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at SUNY Old Westbury

#18

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #18, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 338 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $13,545 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Communication & Media Studies Report

#19

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, New York

With a ranking of #19, SUNY Geneseo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Geneseo is a small school located in Geneseo, New York that handed out 116 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Geneseo, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Geneseo is $12,061 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at SUNY Geneseo

#20

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, New York

SUNY Polytechnic Institute came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Poly is a small school located in Utica, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Polytechnic Institute is $9,417 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SUNY Polytechnic Institute

With a ranking of #21, Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Geneva, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Colleges, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The Colleges is $13,283 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Hobart and William Smith Colleges Communication & Media Studies Report

#22

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

SUNY New Paltz came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY New Paltz is a public institution located in New Paltz, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY New Paltz is $11,543 for Middle Atlantic 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 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY New Paltz Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Vassar College is $8,186 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Vassar Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York

SUNY Oneonta ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized public school situated in Oneonta, New York. It awarded 186 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oneonta is $11,106 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Oneonta Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

University at Albany

Albany, New York
#25 in overall quality

University at Albany landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Albany, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 244 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UAlbany has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UAlbany is $13,123 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University at Albany

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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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