2022 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
In 2022, College Factual analyzed 787 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 68,079 degrees in communication and media studies during the 2019-2020 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School
Your choice of communication and media studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Communication & Media Studies Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Featured Communication & Media Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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BA in Communication
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas. Learn More > |
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MA in Communication
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals. Learn More > |
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MS in Marketing - New Media & Communications
Explore how emerging media impacts the study of culture, relationships and messages with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University. Learn More > |
Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communications degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Communications
It's difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a degree in communication and media studies. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Schools rank of #13 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were approximately 107 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $16,672 over the average income of communication and media studies majors.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication and media studies. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Schools rank of #19 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.
There were approximately 128 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University make $33,372 more than the standard communications student.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Johns Hopkins University
It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in communication and media studies. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Schools rank of #22 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were roughly 96 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York receive an earnings boost of around $64,872 over the average earnings of communication and media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Columbia University in the City of New York
Any student who is interested in communication and media studies has to take a look at Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Schools rank of #14 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 187 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $25,722 more than the typical communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Northwestern University
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Schools rank of #16 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were roughly 99 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Cornell University earn a boost of around $14,372 over the typical income of communication and media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Cornell University
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Schools rank of #26 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 284 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and media studies program at University of California - Berkeley get $11,072 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of California - Berkeley
Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill. A Best Schools rank of #45 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.
There were about 212 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Boston College earn $12,972 more than the standard communications student.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Boston College
U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Schools rank of #40 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were roughly 246 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and media studies major at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $8,772 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Schools rank of #3 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were about 51 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Stanford University
USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Schools rank of #33 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 622 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from University of Southern California receive $17,072 more than the standard communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Southern California
Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 12th out of 203 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 122 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and media studies degree program at Santa Clara University earn $10,272 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Santa Clara University
Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This university ranks 10th out of 72 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 173 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Northeastern University receive an earnings boost of around $19,422 above the typical income of communication and media studies majors.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Northeastern University
Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This university ranks 12th out of 72 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were approximately 449 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Boston University make $10,172 more than the typical communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Boston University
UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 4th out of 113 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were about 635 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career earnings of $33,900.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 203 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 522 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $3,572 more than the average communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Schools rank of #52 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.
There were roughly 272 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 134 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There were about 172 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Villanova University make $9,472 more than the average communications student.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Villanova University
UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were approximately 367 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and media studies major at University of Maryland - College Park make $10,572 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 102 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 336 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an earnings boost of about $5,372 over the average income of communication and media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Fairfield U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Fairfield. This university ranks 5th out of 32 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
There were about 100 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Fairfield U in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from Fairfield University make $9,572 more than the typical communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Fairfield University
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 203 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 326 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Those communication and media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Davis make $5,172 more than the average communications student.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of California - Davis
Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem. A Best Schools rank of #56 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.
There were approximately 125 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and media studies program at Wake Forest University get $4,972 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Wake Forest University
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 3rd out of 73 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were roughly 187 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from Virginia Tech
JMU is a very large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. This university ranks 5th out of 73 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 468 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from James Madison University
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were roughly 315 communication and media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in communication and media studies from University of Wisconsin - MadisonRest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Communication & Media Studies Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 787 different United States communication and media studies schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Communication & Media Studies Schools award.
Communication & Media Studies by Region
View the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools for a specific region near you.
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Communication & Media Studies Related Rankings by Major
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.
Communications Concentrations
Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Speech Communication | 41,970 |
Communications | 11,861 |
Communication & Media Studies | 10,951 |
Other Communication & Media Studies | 3,297 |
View All Communications Focus Areas >
Most Popular Majors Related to Communications
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Public Relations & Advertising | 20,229 |
Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,036 |
Journalism | 14,528 |
Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,253 |
Publishing | 262 |
View All Communications Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools
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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 > |