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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

173 Ranked Colleges
12,784 Degrees Awarded
$28,837 Avg Salary
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Southeast region, there were 14,617 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,483 and $26,130 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,784 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 173 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Vanderbilt University

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Wake Forest University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $12,004 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Wake Forest University

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 598 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 UNC Chapel Hill

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 588 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $10,298 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Florida International University

#5

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Berea College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Berea, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea College is $4,259 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Berea

University of Central Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 403 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $11,161 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UCF

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 461 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $9,809 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $7,511 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of West Florida Communication & Media Studies Report

#9

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 246 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UNF excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $10,006 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full UNF Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 199 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $15,084 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 187 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

FGCU excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,344 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FGCU.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #12, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 135 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, UGA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,748 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Georgia

#13

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 73 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,039 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Full Northern Kentucky University Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 178 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $19,067 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Tech

#15

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Florida State College at Jacksonville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FSCJ is $6,300 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Florida State College at Jacksonville

#16

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 451 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,843 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend JMU.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full JMU Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
Top 25% in overall quality

West Virginia University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $13,220 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full WVU Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,786 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Florida Atlantic University

#19

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Appalachian State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,827 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Appalachian State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Appalachian State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

With a ranking of #20, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Georgia is a fairly large school located in Dahlonega, Georgia that handed out 67 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNG.

Full University of North Georgia Communication & Media Studies Report

#21

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNC Greensboro is $14,166 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UNC Greensboro

#22

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #22, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 218 students in 2019-2020.

UARK also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,336 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UARK.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Arkansas

#23

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elizabeth City State University is a small public school situated in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECSU is $3,930 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at ECSU

#24

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. East Carolina University is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 302 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, ECU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $15,784 for southeast region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at East Carolina University

#25

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 236 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UK is $15,733 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UK Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherd University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Shepherd University is a public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $11,719 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Shepherd University Communication & Media Studies Report

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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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