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2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate

79 Ranked Colleges
425 Degrees Awarded
$56,176 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 425 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 79 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful communication and media studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate

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

1
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 19 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s communications degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full University of Southern California Communication & Media Studies Report

3
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Regent University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Regent University Communication & Media Studies Report

4
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oregon. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. UO is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 13 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UO

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 13 doctorate’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full ASU - Tempe Communication & Media Studies Report

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s communications students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 University of Florida

6
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #6. The University of Alabama is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 12 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Alabama

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s communications degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Communication & Media Studies Report

9
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s communications students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Communication & Media Studies Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 10 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

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

9
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #9, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 10 doctorate’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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UGA

12
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 9 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Texas Tech

12

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full IU Bloomington Communication & Media Studies Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s communications degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at CU - Boulder

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Communication & Media Studies Report

16

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report

16
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Temple University Communication & Media Studies Report

16

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 doctorate’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UMass Amherst

20

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus

20

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #20. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s communications degrees to 7 students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State Communication & Media Studies Report

20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

20
Southern Miss crest
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 7 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Miss

20
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate list. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Kentucky

20

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

20

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major for a Doctorate ranking. IUP is a medium-sized public school situated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It awarded 7 doctorate’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Full IUP Communication & Media Studies Report

Notes and References

References

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