2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools
672
Colleges in the United States
120,571
Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$34,266
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
communication and journalism, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #11 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
For its 2023 ranking, College Factual looked at 672 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for communication and journalism students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 120,571 degrees in communication and journalism during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School
The communication and journalism program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Journalism rankings. For our Best Overall Communication & Journalism School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Communication & Journalism Schools list to help you make the college decision.
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.
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Featured Communication & Journalism Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Communication
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.
Learn More
MA in Communication
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.
Learn More
Best Schools for Communication & Journalism in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communication and journalism degree levels they 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
It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in communication and journalism. 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 2,241 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 823 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism degree program at Northwestern University make $18,674 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Northwestern University
It is difficult to beat Georgetown University if you want to pursue a degree in communication and journalism. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.
There were about 176 communication and 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 approximately $42,532 above the average income of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Georgetown University
It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in communication and journalism. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 908 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of around $14,344 over the typical earnings of communication and journalism majors.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Southern California
It is difficult to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you wish to pursue a degree in communication and journalism. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were approximately 277 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get an earnings boost of approximately $11,495 above the average earnings of communication and journalism majors.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were about 96 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism major at University of Pennsylvania make $15,854 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.
There were approximately 151 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University earn a boost of around $39,964 over the typical earnings of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Johns Hopkins University
Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were approximately 99 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Cornell University receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,805 above the typical income of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Cornell University
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 2,241 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 248 communication and 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 approximately $35,964 over the typical income of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Columbia University in the City of New York
UNC Chapel Hill is a very 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 and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill get $14,235 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were roughly 803 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison get an earnings boost of around $13,214 over the average income of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 117 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There were approximately 164 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from Villanova University earn $7,894 more than the typical communication and journalism grad.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Villanova University
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were about 670 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from New York University get an earnings boost of around $13,927 above the average earnings of communication and journalism majors.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from New York University
Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This university ranks 5th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 1022 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from Boston University earn $7,727 more than the standard communication and journalism grad.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Boston University
Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winston-Salem. This university ranks 3rd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were roughly 156 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from Wake Forest University make $11,317 more than the average communication and journalism graduate.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Wake Forest University
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were approximately 441 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism major at University of Maryland - College Park get $5,754 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Maryland - College Park
Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. This university ranks 9th out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 883 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from Syracuse University receive an earnings boost of around $7,855 above the typical income of communication and journalism majors.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Syracuse University
Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 87 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 627 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $11,535 more than the average communication and journalism student.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 55 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were roughly 424.99999999999994 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get $8,424 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were about 308 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $9,556 more than the standard communication and journalism grad.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of California - Berkeley
GWU is a fairly 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 approximately 273 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism major at George Washington University make $15,715 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from George Washington University
Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.
There were about 63 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus get $33,731 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 477 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication and journalism students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $6,788 more than the typical communication and journalism student.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of California - Santa Barbara
Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the 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 and journalism students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism major at Purdue University - Main Campus make $18,834 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 306 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of California - Davis earn a boost of around $4,629 over the average income of communication and journalism graduates.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from University of California - Davis
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 116 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were about 1421 communication and journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication and journalism program at The University of Texas at Austin get $3,983 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in communication and journalism from The University of Texas at Austin
Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Journalism Schools
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Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Communication & Journalism that might interest you.
Remaining Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Journalism Schools badge.
Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 672 different United States communication and journalism schools we analyzed.
Rank |
College |
Location |
50 |
James Madison University |
Harrisonburg, VA |
51 |
University of Kansas |
Lawrence, KS |
52 |
Baylor University |
Waco, TX |
53 |
Texas Christian University |
Fort Worth, TX |
54 |
Ohio State University - Main Campus |
Columbus, OH |
55 |
University of Oregon |
Eugene, OR |
56 |
Arizona State University - Tempe |
Tempe, AZ |
57 |
Northeastern University |
Boston, MA |
58 |
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College |
Baton Rouge, LA |
59 |
Emerson College |
Boston, MA |
60 |
Miami University - Oxford |
Oxford, OH |
61 |
Tulane University of Louisiana |
New Orleans, LA |
62 |
University of Dayton |
Dayton, OH |
63 |
Fairfield University |
Fairfield, CT |
64 |
The University of Alabama |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
65 |
Marquette University |
Milwaukee, WI |
66 |
Fordham University |
Bronx, NY |
67 |
Colorado State University - Fort Collins |
Fort Collins, CO |
68 |
Marist College |
Poughkeepsie, NY |
69 |
Drake University |
Des Moines, IA |
70 |
University of Utah |
Salt Lake City, UT |
71 |
University at Buffalo |
Buffalo, NY |
72 |
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus |
Norman, OK |
73 |
University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Amherst, MA |
74 |
Quinnipiac University |
Hamden, CT |
75 |
Washington State University |
Pullman, WA |
76 |
Temple University |
Philadelphia, PA |
77 |
Ithaca College |
Ithaca, NY |
78 |
Gonzaga University |
Spokane, WA |
79 |
Iowa State University |
Ames, IA |
80 |
University of Arkansas |
Fayetteville, AR |
81 |
Fashion Institute of Technology |
New York, NY |
82 |
Texas Tech University |
Lubbock, TX |
83 |
University of Kentucky |
Lexington, KY |
84 |
University of Connecticut |
Storrs, CT |
85 |
The Graduate Center, CUNY |
New York, NY |
86 |
Florida State University |
Tallahassee, FL |
87 |
Brigham Young University - Provo |
Provo, UT |
88 |
DePaul University |
Chicago, IL |
89 |
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus |
Cincinnati, OH |
90 |
Denison University |
Granville, OH |
91 |
DePauw University |
Greencastle, IN |
92 |
Arizona State University - Skysong |
Scottsdale, AZ |
93 |
Ohio University - Athens Campus |
Athens, OH |
94 |
Bradley University |
Peoria, IL |
95 |
Towson University |
Towson, MD |
96 |
Furman University |
Greenville, SC |
97 |
University of San Francisco |
San Francisco, CA |
98 |
University of South Florida - Main Campus |
Tampa, FL |
99 |
University of South Carolina - Columbia |
Columbia, SC |
100 |
Muhlenberg College |
Allentown, PA |
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 |
101 |
Belmont University |
Nashville, TN |
102 |
San Diego State University |
San Diego, CA |
103 |
Saint Louis University |
Saint Louis, MO |
104 |
San Francisco State University |
San Francisco, CA |
105 |
Chapman University |
Orange, CA |
106 |
Loyola University Maryland |
Baltimore, MD |
107 |
East Carolina University |
Greenville, NC |
108 |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
Charlotte, NC |
109 |
Bryant University |
Smithfield, RI |
110 |
Minnesota State University - Mankato |
Mankato, MN |
111 |
Westminster College Utah |
Salt Lake City, UT |
112 |
San Jose State University |
San Jose, CA |
113 |
Ball State University |
Muncie, IN |
114 |
Emory University |
Atlanta, GA |
115 |
Rutgers University - New Brunswick |
New Brunswick, NJ |
116 |
Duquesne University |
Pittsburgh, PA |
117 |
University of St Thomas Minnesota |
Saint Paul, MN |
118 |
University of San Diego |
San Diego, CA |
119 |
Clark University |
Worcester, MA |
120 |
Wheaton College Illinois |
Wheaton, IL |
121 |
Illinois State University |
Normal, IL |
122 |
Loyola University Chicago |
Chicago, IL |
123 |
University of Northern Iowa |
Cedar Falls, IA |
124 |
Creighton University |
Omaha, NE |
125 |
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee |
Milwaukee, WI |
126 |
University of California - Irvine |
Irvine, CA |
127 |
University of North Texas |
Denton, TX |
128 |
University at Albany |
Albany, NY |
129 |
University of Nevada - Las Vegas |
Las Vegas, NV |
130 |
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo |
San Luis Obispo, CA |
131 |
Winona State University |
Winona, MN |
132 |
California State University - Long Beach |
Long Beach, CA |
133 |
Saint Norbert College |
De Pere, WI |
134 |
University of Central Florida |
Orlando, FL |
Communication & Journalism by Region
View the Best Communication & Journalism Schools for a specific region near you.
View All Rankings >
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >
Notes and References
- 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.
More about our data sources and methodologies.