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

17 Ranked Colleges
943 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Tennessee, there were 1,049 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,090 and $26,922 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 943 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 Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 17 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Tennessee

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $8,086 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Vanderbilt

#2

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,822 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Middle Tennessee State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $14,601 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Chattanooga.

Full UT Chattanooga Communication & Media Studies Report

#4

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Tennessee State University has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $14,540 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Tennessee State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, East Tennessee State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend East Tennessee State University is $16,359 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at East Tennessee State University

With a ranking of #6, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a medium-sized school located in Martin, Tennessee that handed out 22 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Martin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $13,766 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Tennessee - Martin

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 135 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $23,211 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #8, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, UofM has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UofM is $15,287 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UofM

#9

Johnson University

Knoxville, Tennessee

Johnson University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Johnson University is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Johnson University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johnson University is $18,497 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full Johnson University Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. Austin Peay State University is a fairly large school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 96 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $16,243 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Austin Peay State University.

Full Austin Peay State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Lee University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lee University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lee University is $17,884 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Lee University

#12

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee

Carson - Newman University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carson - Newman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carson - Newman University is $18,751 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Carson - Newman

#13

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

Lipscomb University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lipscomb did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $25,044 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lipscomb University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lipscomb

#14

King University

Bristol, Tennessee

With a ranking of #14, King University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. King University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bristol, Tennessee. It awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, King has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $22,878 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend King University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at King University

#15

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #15, Belmont University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 39 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Belmont also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Belmont University is $31,006 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Belmont

#16

Milligan University

Milligan College, Tennessee

With a ranking of #16, Milligan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. Milligan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milligan College, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Milligan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Milligan University is $21,346 for tennessee bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Milligan

#17

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality

Union University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $48-$75k list. Union is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jackson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Union also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Union University is $25,952 for tennessee 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 87%. 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 low student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Union University

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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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