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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

130 Ranked Colleges
8,125 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 130 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

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 $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 101 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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 $30-$48k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 290 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 317 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue 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 $30-$48k 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 $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 472 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 103 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $9,795 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 86%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - La Crosse

Indiana University - Northwest landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,960 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Northwest

#10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 141 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 90 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - River Falls

#13

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University 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 $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Oakland University

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at IUPUI

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 SIUE is $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SIUE

#16

Denison University

Granville, Ohio

With a ranking of #16, Denison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denison is located in Granville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Denison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $13,909 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Denison

#17

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay 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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 52 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full UW - Green Bay Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 40 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - Eau Claire

#19

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UIS Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Parkside.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Parkside

#21

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. IU 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 Indiana University - East is $5,002 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - East Communication & Media Studies Report

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at GVSU

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 86 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $13,114 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#25

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - South Bend

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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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