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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

44 Ranked Colleges
716 Degrees Awarded
$24,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,349 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,317 and $25,730 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 716 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree communications students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1

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 Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 205 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIUC Communication & Media Studies Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 7 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Communication & Media Studies Report

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater are $19,200, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Whitewater Communication & Media Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757.

Full UIS Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report

#9

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #9, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 11 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue Northwest are $11,633, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue Northwest

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 15 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Illinois University are $20,761, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at EIU

#11

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Governors State University are $14,674, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at GSU

#13

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 8 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#15

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Indiana University - South Bend did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - South Bend are $18,275.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Communication & Media Studies Report

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 13 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State

#17

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Fort Wayne are $14,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IUPUI

#19

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 9 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan are $19,359, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Central Michigan University Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at USI are $20,039, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Southern Indiana

#21

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland are $24,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Oakland University

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Grand Valley State University

#23

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 5 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State University are $26,204, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Ball State University Communication & Media Studies Report

With a ranking of #23, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

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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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