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2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

21 Ranked Colleges
1,945 Degrees Awarded
$22,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 121,387 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 2,312 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,945 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” list, to help you choose the best school for 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in Virginia

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 178 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 93%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Virginia Tech

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at James Madison University

#3

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

CNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students per year to attend Christopher Newport University.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Christopher Newport University

#4

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Radford University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Radford is a fairly large school located in Radford, Virginia that handed out 135 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students per year to attend Radford.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Radford University

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 229 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at VCU

#6

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Longwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Located in Farmville, Virginia, this small public school awarded 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Longwood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $19,462 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students per year to attend Longwood.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Longwood University

#7

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Petersburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia State is $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Virginia State University

#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 234 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $28,903 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Liberty University

#9

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Regent University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 89 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Regent did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,267 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students per year to attend Regent.

Full Regent University Communication & Journalism Report

#10

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Hampton University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Located in Hampton, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Hampton also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hampton University is $31,307 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Hampton

#11

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Virginia Union University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. VUU is a small school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 17 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

VUU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for VUU is $21,813 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Virginia Union University

#12

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Shenandoah is a small school located in Winchester, Virginia that handed out 9 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Shenandoah did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Shenandoah University is $27,124 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Shenandoah Communication & Journalism Report

#13

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Marymount University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Located in Arlington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students list, Marymount has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,078 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students per year to attend Marymount University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Marymount

#14

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Virginia Wesleyan University is a small school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 16 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Wesleyan University is $23,425 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at VWU

#15

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Emory & Henry College is located in Emory, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Emory & Henry College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory & Henry College is $18,593 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

The 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Emory & Henry College

#16

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #16. Bridgewater College is a small school located in Bridgewater, Virginia that handed out 24 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater is $17,929 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

Full Bridgewater Communication & Journalism Report

#17

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

Randolph - Macon College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Randolph - Macon is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Virginia. It awarded 41 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon College is $26,370 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Randolph - Macon College

#18

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. University of Lynchburg is a small school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 21 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Lynchburg also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lynchburg is $23,207 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

The impressive 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Lynchburg

#19

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Roanoke College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Roanoke is a small school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 28 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke College is $25,135 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Roanoke

#20

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

University of Richmond ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. URichmond is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University of Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 20 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $25,838 for virginia bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Richmond Communication & Journalism Report

#21

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

Washington and Lee University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee is $22,615 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a 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 Communication & Journalism at Washington and Lee University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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