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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia

18 Ranked Colleges
1,587 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 $48-$75k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 $48-$75k

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 178 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $19,067 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Tech

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #2 spot on the list. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 451 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $19,843 for Virginia 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full JMU Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 229 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $20,868 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at VCU

#4

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Radford University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $15,546 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Radford

#5

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Christopher Newport University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Newport News, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 103 students 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. The yearly cost to attend Christopher Newport University is $22,134 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Christopher Newport University

#6

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia

Emory and Henry College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Emory, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory & Henry College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,679 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Emory & 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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Emory and Henry College

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Farmville, Virginia, this small public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Longwood also took the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Longwood is $18,294 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Longwood Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Randolph - Macon is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Virginia. It awarded 41 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon College is $21,529 for Virginia 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%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Randolph - Macon College

#9

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Bridgewater has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $16,843 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bridgewater

#10

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

With a ranking of #10, Roanoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Salem, Virginia, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Roanoke has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,513 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Roanoke College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Roanoke

#11

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Marymount University is located in Arlington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marymount, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,627 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Marymount.

The school has an impressive 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 Marymount University

#12

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Lynchburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Lynchburg is $20,403 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Lynchburg Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, Virginia Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. VWU 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VWU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $24,294 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia Wesleyan University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at VWU

#14

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State 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 $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Petersburg, Virginia, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia State is $18,899 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Virginia State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#15

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah 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 $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Winchester, Virginia, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s communications degrees 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. It costs about $26,518 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Shenandoah.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Shenandoah University Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent 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 $48-$75k ranking. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Regent has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $15,865 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Regent.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Regent

#17

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 143 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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 estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $27,831 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Liberty University

#18

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VUU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $24,647 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia Union University.

Full VUU 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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