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2024 Best Speech Communication Schools

379 Colleges in the United States
41,146 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded
Speech Communication is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #18 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 379 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Speech Communication Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 41,146 degrees in speech communication during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Speech Communication School

Best Speech Communication Schools The speech communication program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Speech Communication rankings. For our Best Overall Speech Communication School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Speech Communication Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Speech Communication
Bachelor's Degrees in Speech Communication
Master's Degrees in Speech Communication
Doctor's Degrees in Speech Communication

The speech communication school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Speech Communication Schools. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Speech Communication in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the speech communication degrees they offer, see the list below. 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 Speech Communication

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
367 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

University of Southern California is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in speech communication. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 367 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
207 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in speech communication needs to take a look at Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 207 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In NY
92 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a degree in speech communication. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NC
222 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in speech communication. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 222 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MD
151 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 151 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Johns Hopkins University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
262 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 262 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from The University of Texas at Austin

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WI
326 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 326 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Wisconsin - Madison

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
242 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 242 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Purdue University - Main Campus

9
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In CA
142 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 142 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Santa Clara University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
289 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 289 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Maryland - College Park

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WA
411 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 411 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
223 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 223 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Michigan State University

13
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In PA
158 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova. This university ranks 5th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 158 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Villanova University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In TX
153 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

TCU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Fort Worth. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 153 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Texas Christian University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CO
278 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

DU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Denver. This university ranks 3rd out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 278 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Denver

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In AZ
308 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

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

There were roughly 308 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Arizona

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CO
164 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 164 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Colorado Boulder

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
580 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 580 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Ohio State University - Main Campus

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
166 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

UGA is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 166 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Georgia

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In LA
149 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were approximately 149 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Tulane University of Louisiana

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MA
85 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 85 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Northeastern University

22
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In TX
4.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 22 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Baylor University

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MA
168 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 8th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 168 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Boston College

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AZ
468 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 468 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in speech communication from Arizona State University - Tempe

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CT
287 Speech Communication Degrees Awarded

UCONN is a very large public university located in the suburb of Storrs. This university ranks 2nd out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were approximately 287 speech communication students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in speech communication from University of Connecticut

Rest of the Top Best Speech Communication Schools

26
27
Bryant crest
Bryant University
Smithfield, RI
28
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
29
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
30
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
31
32

33
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

34
35
36
37
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
38
39
40
41

42

43
44
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
45
Fairfield U crest
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT
46
47
48
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Speech Communication Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 379 different United States speech communication schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
52 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
53 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
54 Chapman University Orange, CA
55 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
56 Florida International University Miami, FL

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Speech Communication Schools award.

Rank College Location
57 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
58 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
59 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
60 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
61 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
62 Belmont University Nashville, TN
63 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
64 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
64 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
65 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
66 Illinois State University Normal, IL
67 DePaul University Chicago, IL
68 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
69 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
70 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
71 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
72 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
73 Furman University Greenville, SC
74 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
75 Emerson College Boston, MA

Speech Communication by Region

View the Best Speech Communication 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 >

One of 3 majors within the Communication & Media Studies area of study, Speech Communication has other similar majors worth exploring.

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

View All Speech Communication Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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College Rankings
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Degree Guides by Major
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