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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Speech Communication

856 Ranked Colleges
41,146 Degrees Awarded
$31,800 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 41,146 people earned their degree in speech communication, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major” ranking, we looked at 856 colleges that offer a degree in speech communication. That schools that top this list have a program in speech communication in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for speech communication students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Speech Communication

1
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Out of the 856 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Hanover College landed the #1 spot on the list. Hanover College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, Indiana. It awarded 33 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Hanover Speech Communication Report

2
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend DePauw University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major. DePauw is a small school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 66 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 89%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Speech Communication at DePauw University

3
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia

Out of the 856 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Bethany College West Virginia landed the #3 spot on the list. Bethany College West Virginia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethany, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Speech Communication at Bethany College West Virginia

4
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major. Christopher Newport University is a small public school situated in Newport News, Virginia. It awarded 107 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CNU Speech Communication Report

5
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 856 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the #5 spot on the list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 more about Speech Communication at Westmont

6
Southwestern crest
Southwestern University
Georgetown, Texas

Southwestern University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Southwestern is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Georgetown, Texas. It awarded 30 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full Southwestern University Speech Communication Report

7
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Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina

Furman University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. This small school is located in Greenville, South Carolina, and it awarded 69 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Furman University Speech Communication Report

8
SUNY Geneseo crest
SUNY Geneseo
Geneseo, New York

SUNY Geneseo came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. SUNY Geneseo is a small public school situated in Geneseo, New York. It awarded 98 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 85%.

Full SUNY Geneseo Speech Communication Report

9
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 446 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full James Madison University Speech Communication Report

10

University of New Hampshire at Manchester did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Manchester, New Hampshire, this small public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s speech communication students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Speech Communication at UNH Manchester

11
Emmanuel Boston crest
Emmanuel College Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

Emmanuel College Massachusetts landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Emmanuel College Massachusetts is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 39 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at Emmanuel Boston

12
Alabama State crest
Alabama State University
Montgomery, Alabama

Alabama State University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. This small school is located in Montgomery, Alabama, and it awarded 47 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Speech Communication at Alabama State

13
Ripon crest
Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Ripon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ripon, Wisconsin. It awarded 14 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ripon Speech Communication Report

14
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Salisbury is a medium-sized public school situated in Salisbury, Maryland. It awarded 159 ’s speech communication degrees 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%.

Full Salisbury University Speech Communication Report

15
Coastal Carolina University crest
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

Coastal Carolina University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Coastal Carolina University is a public institution located in Conway, South Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 153 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Speech Communication at Coastal Carolina University

16
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, New York

SUNY Oneonta ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. SUNY Oneonta is located in Oneonta, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s speech communication degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 SUNY Oneonta Speech Communication Report

17
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Houghton College
Houghton, New York

Houghton College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. Houghton College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houghton, New York. It awarded 19 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Full Houghton Speech Communication Report

18
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

John Carroll University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. University Heights, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at John Carroll University

19
Landmark College crest
Landmark College
Putney, Vermont

Landmark College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. Landmark College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Putney, Vermont. It awarded 6 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Speech Communication at Landmark College

20

William Paterson University of New Jersey ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. William Paterson University is a medium-sized school located in Wayne, New Jersey that handed out 148 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Speech Communication at William Paterson University of New Jersey

21

California State University - Fullerton landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 777 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Speech Communication Report

22
C of C crest
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina

College of Charleston did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #22. C of C is a fairly large school located in Charleston, South Carolina that handed out 160 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Speech Communication at C of C

23

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Channel Islands is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s speech communication degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Speech Communication at CSUCI

24
Andrew College crest
Andrew College
Cuthbert, Georgia

Andrew College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major list. Andrew College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cuthbert, Georgia. It awarded 5 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Speech Communication at Andrew College

25

Ottawa University - Surprise did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #25. Ottawa University - Surprise is a small school located in Surprise, Arizona that handed out 9 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Speech Communication at Ottawa University - Surprise

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Monmouth University
West Long Branch, New Jersey
27
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Stonehill College
Easton, Massachusetts
28
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota
29
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College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
30
31
32
33
Transylvania crest
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky
34
Westminster College Salt Lake crest
Westminster College Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
35
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania
36
37
Bridgewater State crest
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
38
Longwood crest
Longwood University
Farmville, Virginia
39
Loyola Maryland crest
Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
40
SUNY Old Westbury crest
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, New York
41
Catawba crest
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina
42
Westfield crest
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts
43
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
44
Gordon College crest
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts
45
Central crest
Central College
Pella, Iowa
46
Grove City College crest
Grove City College
Grove City, Pennsylvania
47
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York
48
Wesleyan crest
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, Kentucky
49
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida
50
HNU crest
Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Speech Communication Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
52 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
53 University of Denver Denver, CO
54 College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA
55 Kean University Union, NJ
56 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
57 Bellarmine University Louisville, KY
58 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
59 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
60 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
61 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
62 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
63 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
64 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
65 Manhattanville College Purchase, NY
Rank College Location
66 Hope College Holland, MI
67 California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA
68 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
68 Ottawa University - Ottawa Ottawa, KS
70 Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA
71 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
72 Aquinas College Michigan Grand Rapids, MI
73 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
74 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Madison, NJ
74 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
76 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
77 Gallaudet University Washington, DC
78 University of Jamestown Jamestown, ND
79 Albright College Reading, PA
80 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
81 Keene State College Keene, NH
82 Dutchess Community College Poughkeepsie, NY
83 Presentation College Aberdeen, SD
84 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
85 Indiana University - Southeast New Albany, IN
86 St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY
87 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
88 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
89 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
90 Villanova University Villanova, PA
Rank College Location
91 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
92 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
92 West Virginia State University Institute, WV
94 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
95 Simpson University Redding, CA
96 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
97 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
98 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
99 Haskell Indian Nations University Lawrence, KS
100 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
101 Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA
102 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
103 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
104 Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY
105 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
106 Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, CA
107 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
108 Porterville College Porterville, CA
109 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
110 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
111 Jamestown Community College Jamestown, NY
112 College of the Siskiyous Weed, CA
113 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
114 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
115 Hiram College Hiram, OH
Rank College Location
116 Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA
117 College of Marin Kentfield, CA
118 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
119 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
120 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
121 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
122 University of South Carolina - Upstate Spartanburg, SC
123 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
124 San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA
125 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
126 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
127 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
128 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
129 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA

Notes and References

References

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