Communication & Media Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #10 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 575 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 62,855 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.
Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School
The communications program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies rankings. 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.
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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 585 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of approximately $21,592 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.
It is hard to beat Cornell University if you want to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were roughly 97 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Cornell University receive $25,332 more than the average communications student.
Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 93 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of approximately $30,429 above the typical income of communication & media studies graduates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.
There were about 588 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receive $6,888 more than the typical communications student.
U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were roughly 260 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $13,706 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 470 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program make about $36,390 in their early career salary.
Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.
There were about 170 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Villanova University earn $15,444 more than the average communications student.
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were approximately 84 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $16,172 more than the average communications grad.
Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 327 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program make about $37,808 in the first couple years of their career.
UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.
There were approximately 368 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at University of Maryland - College Park get $6,846 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were roughly 268 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Arizona earn $6,143 more than the average communications grad.
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 592 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara earn $9,748 more than the average communications graduate.
Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were roughly 517 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Texas A&M University - College Station receive $6,445 more than the standard communications grad.
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 293 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of California - Davis receive an earnings boost of about $5,719 above the average income of communication & media studies graduates.
Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.
There were approximately 135 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Northeastern University earn $13,597 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were about 270 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. After graduating, communications degree recipients typically earn about $37,286 in their early careers.
Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 188 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Boston College earn $18,312 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
CU - Boulder is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Boulder. This university ranks 2nd out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.
There were about 216 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Colorado Boulder receive $2,888 more than the average communications grad.
Located in the fringe town of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
There were approximately 245 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Connecticut earn $3,623 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were approximately 318 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus get $7,788 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 258 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $6,846 more than the average communications grad.
ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe. This university ranks 2nd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were approximately 407 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Arizona State University - Tempe get an earnings boost of about $8,115 over the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the small city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.
There were roughly 458 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communications degree recipients usually earn around $36,700 in their early careers.
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were roughly 262 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at The University of Texas at Austin make $6,998 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 1st out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were roughly 498 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus make $4,382 more than the standard communications student.
This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Media Studies Schools badge.
Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 575 different United States communication & media studies schools we analyzed.
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.
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).
The communications program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies rankings. 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.
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