2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. 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” ranking, we looked at 41 colleges that offer a degree 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 12 masters’s communications degrees 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 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Spring Arbor University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Spring Arbor University are $8,232, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Spring Arbor University Communication & Media Studies Report
Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 205 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus 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 Marquette University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette University is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 29 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students list, Marquette has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Marquette are $21,690, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #6, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UDayton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Dayton are $17,780, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Dayton
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 7 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Whitewater are $19,200, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 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 Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #8, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. GVSU 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 took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Grand Valley State University
Northern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University
With a ranking of #11, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 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 BGSU are $15,823.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
DePaul University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 21 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at DePaul University
With a ranking of #13, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 15 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed 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.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed 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 you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Purdue University Northwest ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 11 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Northwest are $11,633, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University Northwest
Central Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Central Michigan University
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Kent State University at Kent is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State University at Kent are $21,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Kent State University at Kent Communication & Media Studies Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UWM also took the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UWM are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
With a ranking of #21, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #22, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 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 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
University of Southern Indiana ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern Indiana are $20,039, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Fort Wayne are $14,618, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Governors State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 10 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at GSU are $14,674, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Communication & Media Studies Schools
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Master's Degree Communication & Media Studies Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Communication & Media Studies students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies students in the Great Lakes Region
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.
Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |