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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies

287 Ranked Colleges
4,407 Degrees Awarded
$47,692 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Communications Major

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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 4,407 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major” ranking looked at 287 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. That schools that top this list have a program in communication and media studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies

1
Queens crest
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Queens University of Charlotte. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 48 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Queens

2
Lasell crest
Lasell University
Newton, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lasell University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. This small school is located in Newton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Lasell

3
Westminster College Salt Lake crest
Westminster College Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westminster College Utah. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Westminster College Utah is a small school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 22 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Westminster College Utah

4
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Denver. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 155 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Denver

5
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Drake University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 41 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Drake University

6
Clark crest
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Clark is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Clark University

7

Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network

8

Texas Southern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 27 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Texas Southern University

9

Notre Dame of Maryland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. NDMU is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at NDMU

10
Spring Arbor crest
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Spring Arbor University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Spring Arbor University

11
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The American University

12
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #12, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 186 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

13
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 149 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University

14
Drury University crest
Drury University
Springfield, Missouri

Drury University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Full Drury University Communication & Media Studies Report

15
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Bridgewater

16

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. ENMU - Main Campus is located in Portales, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Full ENMU - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

17

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 163 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong

18
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, South Carolina

Bob Jones University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking, coming in at #18. Bob Jones University is a small school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 8 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full Bob Jones University Communication & Media Studies Report

19
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 211 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at USC

20
University of West Alabama crest
University of West Alabama
Livingston, Alabama

University of West Alabama ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. University of West Alabama is a medium-sized public school situated in Livingston, Alabama. It awarded 21 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of West Alabama

21
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Emerson College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 17 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Emerson

22
Regis College crest
Regis College
Weston, Massachusetts

Regis College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking, coming in at #22. Regis College is a small school located in Weston, Massachusetts that handed out 14 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Regis College

23
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. La Salle University is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at La Salle

24
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #24, Pratt Institute - Main did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major list. Pratt Institute - Main is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Pratt Institute

25
Brenau crest
Brenau University
Gainesville, Georgia

Brenau University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major ranking. Brenau University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gainesville, Georgia. It awarded 8 masters’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Brenau University Communication & Media Studies Report

Rest of the Best 44 in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communications Major

Not only did these schools make the top 44 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
27
High Point crest
High Point University
High Point, North Carolina
28
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
29
AAMU crest
Alabama A & M University
Normal, Alabama
30
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan
31
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
32
Chatham crest
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
33
Sacred Heart crest
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, Connecticut
34
Morehead State University crest
Morehead State University
Morehead, Kentucky
35
Edinboro crest
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
36
37
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
38
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois
39
UHart crest
University of Hartford
West Hartford, Connecticut
40
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California
41
Austin Peay State University crest
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee
42
Southern Utah University crest
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, Utah
43
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
44
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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