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2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k)

610 Ranked Colleges
66,787 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 66,787 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 610 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 55 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $13,623 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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 Stanford

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $15,686 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central New Mexico Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Central New Mexico Community College is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 87 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,324 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Central New Mexico Community College.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Central New Mexico Community College

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 189 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,874 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UF.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Communication & Media Studies Report

5

Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 277 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, U-M has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $17,207 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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

6

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,916 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Columbia

7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 668 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $19,088 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 151 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $18,951 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Johns Hopkins University

9

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 403 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,349 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at USF Tampa

10

University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 300 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $18,728 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at UC Davis

11
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #11, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $9,436 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter

12
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 96 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $20,957 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 95%.

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

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 411 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $16,894 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

14
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 180 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UGA is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $17,630 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 94%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UGA

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 391 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,124 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue

16

With a ranking of #16, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 483 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $19,031 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 Arizona State University - Tempe

17

Florida International University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 573 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $12,817 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Florida International University

18

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,011 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 777 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,977 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Cal State Fullerton Communication & Media Studies Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 458 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,234 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington

21
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,771 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Queens College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at QC

22

California State University - Long Beach ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 387 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSULB is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 CSULB

23
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UD is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $22,093 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.

Full UD Communication & Media Studies Report

24
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 74 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $10,311 for Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad 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 Brooklyn College

25

University of Central Florida came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 470 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCF is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $14,129 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Central Florida

25

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $21,601 for communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 University of California - Berkeley

Rest of the Best 49 in Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
28
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
29
30
31
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York
32
33
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
33
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York
35
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
36
37
38
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
39
40
41
42
43
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
44
44
46
47
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri
48
49
50
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
52Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNew York, NY
53The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX
54California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
54Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
56San Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego, CA
57Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
58University of IowaIowa City, IA
59University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
60Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
60University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
62Austin Community College DistrictAustin, TX
63University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
64University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA
65Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
RankCollegeLocation
66Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, MO
67University of Phoenix - ArizonaTempe, AZ
68West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
69Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX
70University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewater, WI
71University of Michigan - DearbornDearborn, MI
72San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
73University of KentuckyLexington, KY
74Sinclair Community CollegeDayton, OH
75Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
76Dixie State UniversitySaint George, UT
77University of KansasLawrence, KS
78Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
79California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
80San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
81University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
82Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
83Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
84Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL
85Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN
86Murray State UniversityMurray, KY
87University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
88University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
89The University of Texas of the Permian BasinOdessa, TX
90University of WyomingLaramie, WY
RankCollegeLocation
91LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY
92Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ

Notes and References

References

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