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2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

100 Ranked Colleges
9,064 Degrees Awarded
$20,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,064 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,036 and $25,485 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 100 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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 Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

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Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 391 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Purdue.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 458 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Communication & Media Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 334 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 327 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

7

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 580 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

8

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,654 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - La Crosse

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $12,855 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $13,449 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland Communication & Media Studies Report

11
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 543 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,058 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,844 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full UW - River Falls Communication & Media Studies Report

14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 87 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - Stevens Point

15

Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #15. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 24 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Sinclair Community College

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 222 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 289 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 UC

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 54 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $14,687 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

19

With a ranking of #19, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 90 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Communication & Media Studies Report

20

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 116 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

21

Kent State University at Kent ranked #21 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 176 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Kent State.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Kent State

22

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,082 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 University of Wisconsin - Parkside

23
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 82 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan University Communication & Media Studies Report

24
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 133 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,127 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Michigan University

25
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 87 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,765 for great lakes region communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ball State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ball State University

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