[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value communication & media studies schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communication & media studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is University Of Hawaii At Hilo, our #1 best value for communication & media studies in Hawaii. Set in the town of Hilo, University Of Hawaii At Hilo is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,838, while out-of-state students pay about $20,798. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $20,753 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from University Of Hawaii At Hilo generally make around $25,159. Set against $20,753 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Hawaii At Manoa one of the best values for communication & media studies. University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public school located in the city of Honolulu. Students from in state pay about $12,186 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,218. Students borrow a median of $18,972 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Communication & Media Studies graduates of University Of Hawaii At Manoa earn a median of $33,402 early in their careers. Set against $18,972 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Brigham Young University Hawaii came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Set in the town of Laie, Brigham Young University Hawaii is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,630. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $41,461. The acceptance rate is 47%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
