[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for communication & media studies students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked University Of Mary the best value for a degree in communication & media studies in North Dakota. Located in the rural area of Bismarck, University Of Mary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $22,356. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $26,983. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from University Of Mary generally make around $65,565. That is a strong return on a $26,983 median debt. University Of Mary admits about 75% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Dakota earned it the #2 place for communication & media studies. University Of North Dakota is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. Students from in state pay about $10,951 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,570. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $34,963. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
