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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

18 Ranked Colleges
1,587 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 451 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend JMU.

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

Full James Madison University Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 178 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Tech

#3

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Radford University is a fairly large public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 78 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Radford, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Radford University.

Full Radford Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school handed out 229 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

VCU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

#5

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Regent University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Regent University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 86 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Regent also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $15,267 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Regent.

Full Regent University Communication & Media Studies Report

#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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Emory & Henry College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Emory, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory and Henry College is $18,593 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

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

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. CNU is located in Newport News, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, CNU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Christopher Newport University is $25,596 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at CNU

#8

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bridgewater, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also took the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $17,929 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Bridgewater College

#9

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Longwood University is located in Farmville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Longwood did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $19,462 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Longwood.

Full Longwood University Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ashland, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, Randolph - Macon has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Randolph - Macon College is $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph - Macon Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Petersburg, Virginia, this small public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, Virginia State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia State is $16,970 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Virginia State

#12

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Marymount University is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 16 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for Marymount is $26,078 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Marymount

#13

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Salem, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke is $25,135 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Roanoke

#14

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. VWU is a small school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 16 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $23,425 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend VWU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at VWU

#15

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Lynchburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,207 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Lynchburg.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

#16

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Virginia Union University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VUU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for VUU is $21,813 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at VUU

#17

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #17, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Shenandoah University is a small school located in Winchester, Virginia that handed out 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 $27,124 for virginia bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Shenandoah.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Shenandoah Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 143 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Liberty University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $28,903 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Full Liberty University 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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