Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Communication & Media Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

18 Ranked Colleges
1,587 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 1,814 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,678 and $28,507 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,587 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

The communications school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 178 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,010 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Tech

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. JMU is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 451 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,726 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend JMU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at James Madison University

#3

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Christopher Newport University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 103 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,522 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CNU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Christopher Newport University

#4

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Radford University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Radford has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford University is $12,355 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Radford University Communication & Media Studies Report

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #5 spot on the list. VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 229 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

VCU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,529 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

#6

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia

Emory and Henry College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Emory, Virginia, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $14,583 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory and Henry College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Emory & Henry College Communication & Media Studies Report

#7

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood is $14,433 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Longwood Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Randolph - Macon is a small school located in Ashland, Virginia that handed out 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $20,105 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Randolph - Macon

#9

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Roanoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Roanoke is located in Salem, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Roanoke also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke College is $19,874 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Roanoke

#10

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bridgewater College is located in Bridgewater, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Bridgewater also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $14,634 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bridgewater College

#11

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lynchburg, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Lynchburg is $21,307 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Lynchburg Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia State University is a public institution located in Petersburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State University is $16,410 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Virginia State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marymount also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Marymount University is $22,618 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Marymount

#14

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Wesleyan University is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, VWU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VWU is $20,744 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at VWU

#15

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Regent University is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Regent, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Regent University is $14,525 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Regent Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winchester, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Shenandoah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Shenandoah University is $24,514 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Shenandoah

#17

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. VUU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VUU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,651 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend VUU.

Full VUU Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 143 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Liberty University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $26,124 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Liberty University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You