2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,125 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 130 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools
The communications school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Whitewater
Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 31 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Wisconsin - River Falls
Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 128 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend SIUE.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
With a ranking of #9, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 164 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend NIU.
With a ranking of #10, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 172 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
The low 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State
Eastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend EIU.
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 105 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Grand Valley State University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Parkside
With a ranking of #15, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Full Purdue University Northwest Communication & Media Studies Report
Western Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Western Michigan University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 332 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. University of Wisconsin - Superior is a small public school situated in Superior, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Superior is $13,774 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Superior
Eastern Michigan University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Michigan
With a ranking of #20, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Media Studies Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 131 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
Ashland University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Ashland, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 110 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
With a ranking of #24, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 198 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend Kent State.
Governors State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Full Governors State 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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