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2024 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia

14 Colleges in Virginia
2,067 Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,169 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.

College Factual looked at 14 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,067 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 in Virginia 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

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 in Virginia 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 Virginia

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.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Communications

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
446 Communications Degrees Awarded
$39,604 Median Starting Salary

James Madison University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies. JMU is a very large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 446 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at James Madison University make $3,435 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
266 Communications Degrees Awarded
29.7% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Tech is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 266 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, communications degree recipients usually earn an average of $36,639 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Virginia Tech

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Communications Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 258 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University earn a boost of around $3,443 above the average income of communication & media studies majors.

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

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
316 Communications Degrees Awarded
32.6% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 316 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Liberty University earn $6,099 more than the average communications grad.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Communications Degrees Awarded
3.7% Growth in Graduates

CNU is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Newport News. A Best Colleges rank of #589 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means CNU is a great university overall.

There were about 107 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program make around $34,363 for their early career.

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

6
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,514 Median Starting Salary
$26,391 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Salem, Roanoke is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 24th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 22 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Roanoke College earn $2,345 more than the typical communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Roanoke College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Communications Degrees Awarded
$35,457 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Ashland, Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 22nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 41 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Randolph - Macon in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communications degree recipients typically make an average of $35,457 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Randolph - Macon College

8
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, VA

Located in the medium-sized city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #574 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Marymount is a great university overall.

There were roughly 18 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Marymount University make $6,337 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Communications Degrees Awarded
$34,483 Median Starting Salary

Radford is a medium-sized public university located in the small suburb of Radford. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 74 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the communications program make an average of $34,483 for their early career.

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

10
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Communications Degrees Awarded
$40,402 Median Starting Salary

Regent is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Virginia Beach. A Best Colleges rank of #818 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Regent is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Regent University make $4,233 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 795
Florida 282 2,964
North Carolina 279 2,968
Tennessee 269 1,000
South Carolina 248 796
Kentucky 244 785
Louisiana 242 815
Mississippi 234 307
Arkansas 234 457
Alabama 233 967
West Virginia 207 214

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 1,427
Communication & Media Studies 379
Communications 243
Other Communication & Media Studies 18

View All Communications Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 209
Journalism 141
Public Relations & Advertising 84
Communication & Journalism (Other) 57

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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