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2024 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

615 Colleges in the United States
66,787 Communications Degrees Awarded
$34,115 Avg Early-Career Salary
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 2024, College Factual analyzed 615 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 66,787 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools 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

Associate Degrees in Communications
Bachelor's Degrees in Communications
Master's Degrees in Communications
Doctor's Degrees in Communications

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.

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

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
207 Communications Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the United States 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 2,238 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 207 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $24,240 more than the typical communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
567 Communications Degrees Awarded
$54,939 Median Starting Salary

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 large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 567 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of approximately $20,824 over the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Southern California

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Communications Degrees Awarded
$95,483 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & 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 Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $61,368 more than the typical communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Communications Degrees Awarded
$50,120 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. 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 #4 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 96 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 $16,005 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Pennsylvania

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
277 Communications Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 277 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 major at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $11,646 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
668 Communications Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 668 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $14,385 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Communications Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 151 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Johns Hopkins University earn $40,115 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Johns Hopkins University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Communications Degrees Awarded
$46,014 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 262 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of about $11,899 above the average earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from The University of Texas at Austin

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 Communications Degrees Awarded
$48,287 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 268 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of approximately $14,172 above the average income of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
327 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,661 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 87 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 327 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $4,546 more than the typical communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
334 Communications Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,238 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 334 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison get an earnings boost of around $16,099 above the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Wisconsin - Madison

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Communications Degrees Awarded
$44,071 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 99 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 make $9,956 more than the standard communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Cornell University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,054 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 469 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $6,939 more than the standard communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Communications Degrees Awarded
$53,099 Median Starting Salary

Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 391 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus earn $18,984 more than the average communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Purdue University - Main Campus

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
471 Communications Degrees Awarded
19.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 471 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Texas A&M University - College Station get $4,817 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Texas A&M University - College Station

16
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Communications Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 55 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Stanford University make $18,733 more than the typical communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Stanford University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Communications Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 175 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Texas Christian University receive $8,367 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Texas Christian University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
411 Communications Degrees Awarded
$37,823 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,238 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were roughly 411 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of about $3,708 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

19
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
543 Communications Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 543 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Michigan State University get $2,992 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Michigan State University

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,895 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 300 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Davis receive $4,780 more than the typical communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
458 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,828 Median Starting Salary

IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 458 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Indiana University - Bloomington earn a boost of approximately $7,712 over the average earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Indiana University - Bloomington

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
289 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,724 Median Starting Salary

UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 289 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park get an earnings boost of around $7,609 above the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Maryland - College Park

23
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Communications Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 12th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 142 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Santa Clara University earn a boost of about $18,925 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Communications Degrees Awarded
48.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 294 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at University of Denver make $13,304 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Denver

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Communications Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 308 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Arizona earn a boost of about $7,174 over the average income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Arizona

Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

25
26
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
27
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
28
29
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
30
31

32

33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
40

41
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

42
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
43
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
44
45
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
46
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
47
48
49

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Communication & Media Studies Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 615 different United States communication & media studies schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
51 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
52 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
53 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
54 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
55 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
56 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
57 American University Washington, DC
58 Elon University Elon, NC
59 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
60 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
61 Auburn University Auburn, AL
62 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
63 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
64 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
65 Florida International University Miami, FL
66 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
67 DePaul University Chicago, IL
68 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
69 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
70 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
71 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
72 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
73 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
74 Illinois State University Normal, IL
75 Drake University Des Moines, IA
76 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
77 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
78 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
79 Chapman University Orange, CA
80 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
81 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
82 Fordham University Bronx, NY
83 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
84 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
85 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
86 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
87 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
88 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
89 Washington State University Pullman, WA
90 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
91 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
92 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI

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.

Rank College Location
93 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
94 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
95 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM
96 Iowa State University Ames, IA
97 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
98 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
99 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
100 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
101 Emerson College Boston, MA
102 Furman University Greenville, SC
103 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
104 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
105 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
106 Clark University Worcester, MA
107 Belmont University Nashville, TN
108 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
109 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
110 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
111 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
112 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
113 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
114 Denison University Granville, OH
115 Samford University Birmingham, AL
116 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
117 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
118 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
119 Emory University Atlanta, GA
120 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
121 Towson University Towson, MD
122 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
123 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN

Communication & Media Studies by Region

View the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.

Communications Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 41,146
Communications 12,001
Communication & Media Studies 10,266
Other Communication & Media Studies 3,374

View All Communications Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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