by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 120,571 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,266 and had an average of $24,758 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 10,997 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major” ranking looked at 402 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. That schools that top this list have a program in communication and journalism in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The communication & journalism 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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree communication & journalism students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend International Technological University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. ITU is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Universidad del Sagrado Corazon. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. Universidad del Sagrado Corazon is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santurce, . It awarded 130 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Agnes Scott College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major. Agnes Scott College is a small school located in Decatur, Georgia that handed out 20 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Out of the 402 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Emerson College landed the #4 spot on the list. Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 111 masters’s 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St. Bonaventure University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major. Located in Saint Bonaventure, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified masters’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at St. Bonaventure
Queens University of Charlotte did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #6. Queens is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 masters’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
With a ranking of #7, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 151 masters’s communication and journalism 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.
Full New School University Communication & Journalism Report
Lasell University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. This small school is located in Newton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #9, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 428 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Syracuse University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #10. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 299 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Syracuse University
Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #11. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 131 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Gonzaga University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communication and journalism degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
With a ranking of #13, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 96 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Communication & Journalism Report
Lynn University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. Lynn University Fighting Knights is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Lynn University Fighting Knights
Westminster College Utah came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. Westminster College Utah is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 22 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Westminster College Salt Lake
University of Denver did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Denver is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 160 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Denver
With a ranking of #17, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. ASU - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 373 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Arizona State University - Skysong
With a ranking of #18, American University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. American University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 129 masters’s communication and journalism degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at American University
Drake University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 41 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Marist College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. Marist College is located in Poughkeepsie, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 masters’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #21, Trinity Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. Trinity College is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Trinity Washington University
School of Visual Arts landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. School of Visual Arts is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 27 masters’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 School of Visual Arts
Boston University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communication and journalism degrees to 297 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Clark University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major list. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communication and journalism degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Clark University
Georgetown University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major ranking. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 176 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Georgetown University
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, CA |
| 52 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 53 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
| 54 | Saint Peter’s University | Jersey City, NJ |
| 55 | Drury University | Springfield, MO |
| 56 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 57 | Bridgewater College | Bridgewater, VA |
| 58 | Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus | Portales, NM |
| 59 | Murray State University | Murray, KY |
| 60 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 61 | Bob Jones University | Greenville, SC |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
