2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
610
Ranked Colleges
66,787
Degrees Awarded
$5,700
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 66,787 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 610 colleges that offered 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.
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 Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 207 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $917 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Columbia
Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 55 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,581 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 96 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 277 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at U-M
With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 668 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,729 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
The low undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
Cornell University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 99 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,133 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cornell
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 156 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Forest University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,612 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Wake Forest University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 334 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $4,788 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 UW - Madison Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Florida landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 189 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $2,857 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UF Communication & Media Studies Report
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 391 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue
Johns Hopkins University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 151 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $4,859 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 458 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $7,061 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 411 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW Seattle
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 327 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report
University of California - Berkeley landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 268 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 403 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report
Hunter College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 164 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,135 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Hunter
Central New Mexico Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central New Mexico Community College is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $3,059 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central New Mexico Community College.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at CNM
Boston College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 168 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Boston College is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $7,075 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Boston College Communication & Media Studies Report
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 483 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, ASU - Tempe is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $10,628 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 207 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,701 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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 Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Davis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 300 students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $11,598 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Davis
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 180 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UGA also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Georgia
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Communication & Media Studies Report
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