by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2023 ranking, College Factual looked at 289 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for communication and journalism students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 10,997 master's degrees in communication and journalism to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of communication and journalism for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality communication and journalism program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication and journalism students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication and journalism. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Northwestern University is a great decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in communication and journalism. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Northwestern University
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in communication and journalism needs to take a look at Georgetown University. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Georgetown University
Johns Hopkins University is a good choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in communication and journalism. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Johns Hopkins University
Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication and journalism. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Columbia University in the City of New York
UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Southern California
Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Cornell University
Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from George Washington University
Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Stanford University
Located in the midsize city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Syracuse University
Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Iowa
Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Boston University
UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from New York University
Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Maryland - College Park
DU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Denver.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Denver
Villanova is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Villanova University
UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the large city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from American University
UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from Southern Methodist University
Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Missouri - Columbia
UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.More information about a master’s in communication and journalism from University of Florida
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 & Journalism Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 45 | Westminster College Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 46 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 47 | St. Bonaventure University | Saint Bonaventure, NY |
| 48 | The Graduate Center, CUNY | New York, NY |
| 49 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 50 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 51 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 52 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 53 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 54 | Emerson College | Boston, MA |
| 55 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
| 56 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 57 | Saint Louis University | Saint Louis, MO |
View the Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 4,407 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 2,542 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 2,343 |
| Journalism | 1,181 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 314 |
| Publishing | 210 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 158,506 |
| Psychology | 32,270 |
| Social Sciences | 16,693 |
| Library Science | 5,485 |
| History | 3,509 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 3,139 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 1,942 |
