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.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 596 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for communication & journalism students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 116,994 degrees in communication & journalism annually.
Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School
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
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.
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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Any student who is interested in communication & journalism needs to check out 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 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 831 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 make $24,571 more than the average communication & journalism graduate.
Every student who is interested in communication & journalism has to take a look at Cornell University. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were about 97 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Cornell University receive $24,876 more than the typical communication & journalism student.
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.
It's hard to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & journalism. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were approximately 605 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $6,432 more than the typical communication & journalism graduate.
Any student who is interested in communication & journalism needs to take a look at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were approximately 260 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive an earnings boost of about $13,250 over the typical income of communication & journalism graduates.
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 999 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at University of Southern California make $17,218 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.
There were approximately 181 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at Villanova University get $14,988 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.
There were about 1023 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 $10,828 more than the typical communication & journalism student.
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were approximately 84 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Pennsylvania earn $15,716 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the 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 roughly 1305 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at The University of Texas at Austin get $2,972 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 1222 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at Michigan State University get $2,961 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 601 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at University of California - Santa Barbara make $9,292 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
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UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were about 536 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park earn a boost of about $7,498 over the average income of communication & journalism graduates.
Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were roughly 362 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $5,273 more than the standard communication & journalism grad.
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 301 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at University of California - Davis make $5,263 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were about 695 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at New York University earn $15,270 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.
There were about 188 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at Boston College earn $17,856 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were about 754 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communication & journalism program state that they receive average early career wages of $38,668.
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 about 615 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $4,684 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.
There were about 41 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of around $39,201 above the average earnings of communication & journalism majors.
MA in Communication - New Media & MarketingProgram Name
Keep your skills and knowledge at the forefront of new media technologies with this specialized online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 620 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,707 above the typical earnings of communication & journalism graduates.
Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. This university ranks 5th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 877.0000000000001 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at Syracuse University make $10,050 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were approximately 346 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Arizona make $3,686 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.
There were approximately 584 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the communication & journalism program report average early career wages of $38,483.
GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 287 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at George Washington University get $26,380 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 287 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communication & journalism program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,046.
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
Explore the digital frontier as it relates to today's communications strategies with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Journalism Schools badge.
Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 596 different United States communication & journalism schools we analyzed.
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.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
Credit for the banner image above goes to Josh Hallett.
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.
