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2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)

612 Ranked Colleges
66,787 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 66,787 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 612 colleges that offered a degree 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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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 Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $12,469 for communications students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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%. 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 411 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for Communications students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full UW Seattle Communication & Media Studies Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid. Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,322 for communications students with aid per year to attend Central New Mexico Community College.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at CNM

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 391 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $13,377 for communications students with aid per year to attend Purdue.

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%. 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 Purdue

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for Communications students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Florida

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #6, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid 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 is $2,158 for Communications students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Hunter College

7

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 403 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, USF Tampa is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

8

With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 458 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for communications students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 327 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our communications students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for communications students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for Communications students with aid.

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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 277 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Communications students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 U-M Communication & Media Studies Report

12
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #12, Baruch College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $2,264 for Communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baruch Communication & Media Studies Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 334 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Communication & Media Studies Report

14

California State University - Fullerton landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 777 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Cal State Fullerton also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Communication & Media Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley

16

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 483 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 86%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Communication & Media Studies Report

17

California State University - Long Beach ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 387 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for communications students with aid.

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

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Long Beach

18

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and 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 $5,298 for Communications students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Florida International University Communication & Media Studies Report

19

University of California - Davis ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 300 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for communications students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Davis

20
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 74 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $3,067 for communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Brooklyn College

21

The City College of New York ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $2,805 for communications students with aid.

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 The City College of New York

22

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 106 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - St Louis

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 543 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 271 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UCSD is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - San Diego

25

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 469 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $16,252 for communications students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Communication & Media Studies Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
27
28
29
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
30
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York
31
32
33
34
35
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
36
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California
37
38
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
39
40
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
41
42
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
43
44
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
45
46
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
47
48
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
49
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Communications Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
52The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
53Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
54California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
55Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
56Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
57Brigham Young University - IdahoRexburg, ID
58Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX
59East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
60University of IowaIowa City, IA
61University of Phoenix - ArizonaTempe, AZ
62University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
63Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
64San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
65University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
RankCollegeLocation
66University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
67California State University - San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
68Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
69Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
70Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
71San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
72Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
73Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
74University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
75LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY
76Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
77Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
78West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
79Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
80University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
81Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
82University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
83University of Michigan - DearbornDearborn, MI
84James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
84University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
86Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL
87California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
87University of OregonEugene, OR
89Towson UniversityTowson, MD
90Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
RankCollegeLocation
91Florida State College at JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL
92University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC

Notes and References

References

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