2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 North Carolina” 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 North Carolina, there were 3,015 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,490 and $25,001 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,867 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 North Carolina”.
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. 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 North Carolina
The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in North Carolina
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 598 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 199 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,458 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at North Carolina State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Carolina University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 302 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $15,844 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend ECU.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. UNCW is a fairly large public school situated in Wilmington, North Carolina. It awarded 242 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCW also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Wilmington is $19,055 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Appalachian State is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Appalachian State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $13,920 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend Appalachian State University.
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 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Appalachian State University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 344 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students list, UNC Charlotte has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $16,529 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 206 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $12,748 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
North Carolina A & T State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 164 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
NC A&T not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $10,274 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Carolina A & T State University
Western Carolina University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students list, WCU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $13,722 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Full Western Carolina University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Asheville, North Carolina, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UNCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $12,061 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend UNCA.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized school located in Pembroke, North Carolina that handed out 45 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students list, UNC Pembroke has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Pembroke is $10,228 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
North Carolina Central University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. North Carolina Central University is a public institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Carolina Central University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina Central University is $14,732 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Full North Carolina Central University Communication & Media Studies Report
Fayetteville State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Fayetteville State University is a public institution located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Fayetteville State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $5,899 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend Fayetteville State University.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Fayetteville State University
Winston - Salem State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
WSSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winston - Salem State University is $12,286 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Winston - Salem State University
Elizabeth City State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #15. Elizabeth City State University is a small school located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina that handed out 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
ECSU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $2,350 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students per year to attend ECSU.
Full Elizabeth City State University Communication & Media Studies Report
Salem College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Salem College is a small school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 9 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Salem also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Salem is $18,010 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Salem College
Shaw University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #17. Shaw University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Shaw University is $19,244 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Elon University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Elon University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Elon, North Carolina. It awarded 30 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Elon also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elon University is $37,230 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Catawba College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Catawba is a small school located in Salisbury, North Carolina that handed out 21 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Catawba did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Catawba College is $18,185 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Catawba College
With a ranking of #20, Barton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Wilson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barton College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barton College is $24,141 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Barton College
Lees - McRae College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Lees - McRae College is located in Banner Elk, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lees - McRae College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lees - McRae College is $21,024 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Full Lees - McRae College Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #22, William Peace University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. William Peace University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students list, WPU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Peace University is $24,134 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
Queens University of Charlotte came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Queens, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $25,078 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students per year to attend Queens University of Charlotte.
The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Gardner - Webb University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Gardner - Webb University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. It awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gardner - Webb, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gardner - Webb University is $21,296 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Gardner - Webb University
With a ranking of #25, Meredith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Meredith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 14 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Meredith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Meredith College is $23,683 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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