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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Communication & Media Studies

1,382 Ranked Colleges
66,787 Degrees Awarded
$31,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Communications Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Communications Major” ranking.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 66,787 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Communications Major” ranking, we looked at 1,382 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in communication and media studies.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Well Attended 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Communications Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Communications Major”.

1

Out of the 1,382 schools in the Most Well Attended Communications Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 777 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cal State Fullerton

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Skysong. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 712 ’s 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%.

Full Arizona State University - Skysong Communication & Media Studies Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 668 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UNC Chapel Hill

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 580 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

5

Out of the 1,382 schools in the Most Well Attended Communications Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 573 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full FIU Communication & Media Studies Report

6
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 567 ’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. 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USC Communication & Media Studies Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 543 ’s 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State University

8

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking, coming in at #8. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 492 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Sac State

9

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 483 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Communication & Media Studies Report

10

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 469 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

11

University of Central Florida landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 470 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UCF

12
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 458 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

13
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 456 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Boston University Communication & Media Studies Report

14
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking, coming in at #14. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 446 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 James Madison University Communication & Media Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 411 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

16

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 403 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 471 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Texas A&M College Station

18

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking, coming in at #18. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 387 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at CSULB

19

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 367 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Northridge

20
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 362 ’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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 University at Buffalo

21
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major list. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 345 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Grand Canyon University Communication & Media Studies Report

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 343 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Utah Communication & Media Studies Report

22
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 343 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 SFSU

24
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major ranking, coming in at #24. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 345 students in 2020-2021.

Full East Carolina University Communication & Media Studies Report

25
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 391 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Communications Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
28
29
30
UMass Amherst crest
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
30
32
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
33
34
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
34
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
36
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
37
38
39
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
40
41
42
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York
42
44
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
45
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado
46
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
46
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Communications Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
52 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
53 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
54 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
55 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
56 Illinois State University Normal, IL
57 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
58 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
58 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
60 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
61 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
62 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
62 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
64 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
65 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
Rank College Location
66 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
67 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
68 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
69 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
70 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
71 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
72 Boise State University Boise, ID
73 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
74 Baylor University Waco, TX
75 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
76 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
77 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
78 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
78 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
78 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
81 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
81 Pace University - New York New York, NY
83 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
84 Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA
84 University of Georgia Athens, GA
86 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
87 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
88 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
89 Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA
89 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
Rank College Location
89 University of Delaware Newark, DE
89 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
93 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
94 DePaul University Chicago, IL
94 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
96 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
97 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
98 Auburn University Auburn, AL
98 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
100 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
101 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
102 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
102 Hunter College New York, NY
104 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
105 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
106 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
107 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
107 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
109 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
109 Villanova University Villanova, PA
111 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA
111 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
111 Kean University Union, NJ
114 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
114 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
Rank College Location
114 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
117 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
117 Towson University Towson, MD
119 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
119 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
119 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
122 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
123 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
124 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
125 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
126 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
126 Northeastern University Boston, MA
128 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
128 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
130 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
130 Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA
132 Weber State University Ogden, UT
133 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
134 Fordham University Bronx, NY
135 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
136 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
137 Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA
137 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
139 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
139 Queens College Queens, NY
Rank College Location
141 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
142 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
143 Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA
144 Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA
145 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
145 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
147 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
148 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
149 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
150 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT
151 Portland State University Portland, OR
152 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
153 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
153 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
155 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
155 University of North Texas Denton, TX
157 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
157 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
159 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
159 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
161 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
161 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
163 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
163 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
165 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
Rank College Location
165 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
165 Fullerton College Fullerton, CA
165 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN
169 Chapman University Orange, CA
169 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
169 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
169 Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CA
169 El Camino College Torrance, CA
169 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
169 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
169 High Point University High Point, NC
177 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
177 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
177 American University Washington, DC
180 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
181 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
181 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
181 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
181 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
185 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
185 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
187 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
187 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
189 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
190 De Anza College Cupertino, CA
Rank College Location
190 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
192 Iowa State University Ames, IA
192 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA
192 Lasell University Newton, MA
192 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
196 The University of Tampa Tampa, FL
196 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
196 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
199 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
199 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
199 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
199 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
203 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
203 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
203 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
206 Dixie State University Saint George, UT
206 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
208 Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA
208 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
208 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
208 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
208 Ball State University Muncie, IN

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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