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2024 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

666 Colleges in the United States
120,571 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$34,266 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in communication & journalism is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #11 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 666 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 120,571 degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School

Best Communication & Journalism Schools Your choice of communication & journalism school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for communication & journalism schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Communication & Journalism Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Bachelor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Master's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Doctor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism

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 Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Communication & Journalism in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of communication & journalism degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. 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 Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
823 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$52,939 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in communication & journalism needs to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 823 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $18,674 more than the typical communication & journalism graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
908 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$48,610 Median Starting Salary

University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & journalism. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 908 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $14,344 more than the average communication & journalism grad.

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

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$50,120 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in communication & journalism. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 96 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of about $15,854 over the average earnings of communication & journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Pennsylvania

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
176 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$76,798 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in communication & journalism. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 176 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of about $42,532 over the typical earnings of communication & journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Georgetown University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
277 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were about 277 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $11,495 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$70,230 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 248 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of around $35,964 over the typical earnings of communication & journalism graduates.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
803 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 803 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $13,214 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were roughly 151 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University make $39,964 more than the standard communication & journalism grad.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Johns Hopkins University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
696 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 696 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill get an earnings boost of about $14,235 above the average earnings of communication & journalism majors.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$44,071 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 99 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Cornell University receive an earnings boost of about $9,805 above the typical income of communication & journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Cornell University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,421 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
0.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 1421 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at The University of Texas at Austin make $3,983 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

12
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
670 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$48,193 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 670 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from New York University earn $13,927 more than the average communication & journalism student.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from New York University

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$43,822 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 308 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $9,556 more than the standard communication & journalism graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Berkeley

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$38,895 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 306 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of California - Davis make $4,629 more than the standard communication & journalism student.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Davis

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$53,099 Median Starting Salary

Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 391 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus make $18,834 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 63 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus earn a boost of around $33,731 over the average income of communication & journalism majors.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
477 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$41,054 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 477 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at University of California - Santa Barbara get $6,788 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Santa Barbara

18
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 12th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 142 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Santa Clara University earn a boost of approximately $18,774 above the average earnings of communication & journalism majors.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Santa Clara University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
627 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$45,800 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 627 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get $11,535 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
425 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
12.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 424.99999999999994 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive an earnings boost of about $8,424 above the typical earnings of communication & journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 271 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients typically make about $34,173 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - San Diego

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
441 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$40,020 Median Starting Salary

UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 441 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Maryland - College Park make $5,754 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
13.2% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 273 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $15,715 more than the typical communication & journalism grad.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from George Washington University

24
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,022 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 1022 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Boston University earn $7,727 more than the average communication & journalism student.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Boston University

25
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
164 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$42,160 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 164 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at Villanova University get $7,894 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Villanova University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

26
27
28
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
29
30
31
32

33
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

34
35
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
36
37
38
39
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
40
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
41

42
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

43
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
44
45
46
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
47
48
49
50
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Journalism Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 666 different United States communication & journalism schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
52 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
53 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
54 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
55 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
56 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
57 University of Delaware Newark, DE
58 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
59 Northeastern University Boston, MA
60 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
61 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
62 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
63 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
64 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
65 American University Washington, DC
66 Drake University Des Moines, IA
67 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
68 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
69 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
70 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
71 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
72 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
73 Washington State University Pullman, WA
74 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
75 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
76 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
77 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
78 Elon University Elon, NC
79 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
80 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
81 Emerson College Boston, MA
82 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
83 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
84 Fordham University Bronx, NY
85 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
86 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
87 Iowa State University Ames, IA
88 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
89 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
90 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
91 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
92 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
93 DePaul University Chicago, IL
94 Chapman University Orange, CA
95 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
96 Denison University Granville, OH
97 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
98 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
99 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 Schools award.

Rank College Location
100 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
101 Bradley University Peoria, IL
102 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
103 Ball State University Muncie, IN
104 Towson University Towson, MD
105 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
106 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY
107 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
108 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
109 Furman University Greenville, SC
110 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
111 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
112 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
113 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
114 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
115 Clark University Worcester, MA
116 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
117 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
118 Samford University Birmingham, AL
119 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
120 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
121 Belmont University Nashville, TN
122 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
123 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
124 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
125 Creighton University Omaha, NE
126 University of North Texas Denton, TX
127 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
128 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
129 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
129 Emory University Atlanta, GA
130 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
131 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
132 University of Houston Houston, TX
133 Florida International University Miami, FL

Communication & Journalism by Region

View the Best Communication & Journalism 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 >

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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