2021 Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism
Approximately 116,224 communication and journalism degrees were awarded to students last year in the United States. With so many choices it can be a challenge finding the best choice. This year's Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism ranking analyzed 585 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 15% of schools for Communication & Journalism students.
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Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School
Your choice of communication and journalism school matters. Important measures of a quality communication and journalism program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The lowest ranked school in our list is in the top 25% of our overall quality ranking while the vast majority are in at least the top 16%.
Above Average Earnings After Graduation
A communication and journalism degree from colleges on this list typically results in above average earnings following graduation. Recent communication and journalism graduates from U.S. colleges with a bachelors degree earned an average of $31,358 in 2017-2018.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on Communication & Journalism students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other communication and journalism students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized communication and journalism related accrediting body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for Communication & Journalism students.
Best Schools to Study Communication & Journalism in the United States
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for communication and journalism majors. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Top 25 Best Communication & Journalism Colleges
It's difficult to beat Pepperdine University if you wish to study communication and journalism. Pepperdine is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Malibu. This school ranks 149th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Pepperdine also offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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The University of Texas at Austin is among your best bets if you're planning on studying communication and journalism. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of 91 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UT Austin also offers 2 different higher degree levels in communication and journalism, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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Northwestern University is a great decision for students interested in a Communication & Journalism degree. Located in the small city Evanston, Northwestern U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 12 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Northwestern U is a great school overall.
There are about 858 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this degree at Northwestern U.
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It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue communication and journalism as a major. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of 40 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means USC is a great college overall.
With 880 undergraduates, University of Southern California is one of most popular colleges to study communication and journalism in United States.
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Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. This school ranks 119th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There are approximately 895 communication and journalism undergrads studying this program at Syracuse.
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Located in the large city Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 49 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great school overall.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Boston U offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of 115 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means GWU is a great school overall.
There are about 320 communication and journalism undergrads studying this degree at GWU.
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Located in the small city University Park, Penn State University Park is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 112 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Penn State University Park is a great school overall.
There are about 833 communication and journalism undergrads studying this program at Penn State University Park.
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The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. This college ranks 164th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
For those interested in something more advanced, The American University also offers 2 different higher degree levels in communication and journalism, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of 25 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great school overall.
A favorite major for communication and journalism undergraduates, there are roughly 28 students enrolled in this degree at Washington and Lee.
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Located in the midsize city Athens, UGA is a public college with a very large student population. This school ranks 143rd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There are approximately 826 communication and journalism undergraduates enrolled in this program at UGA.
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FIT SUNY is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York. This college ranks 433rd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
A favorite major for communication and journalism undergrads, there are roughly 596 individuals enrolled in this program at FIT SUNY.
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Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hempstead. This school ranks 316th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Hofstra offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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Located in the large city Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This school ranks 240th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
A popular major for communication and journalism undergraduates, there are roughly 234 learners studying this degree at Emerson.
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Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of 107 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Michigan State also offers 2 different higher degree levels in communication and journalism, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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Ithaca is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. This college ranks 156th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, Ithaca offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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Located in the city Phoenix, ASU - Downtown Phoenix is a public college with a large student population. This school ranks 365th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
A popular major for communication and journalism undergraduates, there are approximately 393 individuals studying this program at ASU - Downtown Phoenix.
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Located in the suburb College Park, UMCP is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 117 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great school overall.
There are roughly 451 communication and journalism undergraduates enrolled in this degree at UMCP.
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Located in the small city Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a very large student population. This school ranks 141st out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There are roughly 645 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this program at IU Bloomington.
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UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 9 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great school overall.
A preferred choice for communication and journalism undergraduates, there are about 109 students enrolled in this degree at UPenn.
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Located in the city Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 92 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UIUC also offers 2 different higher degree levels in communication and journalism, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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UA is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Tuscaloosa. This college ranks 305th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.
There are approximately 819 communication and journalism undergrads studying this program at UA.
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Located in the midsize city Eugene, UO is a public school with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 272nd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.
There are approximately 735 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this program at UO.
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UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of 60 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UNC Chapel Hill also offers 2 different higher degree levels in communication and journalism, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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Carolina is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbia. This school ranks 224th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.
There are roughly 441 communication and journalism undergrads studying this degree at Carolina.
More… Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 585 different United States communication and journalism schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism award.
Communication & Journalism by Region
View the Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Communication & Journalism Related Rankings by Major
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 68,301 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 20,156 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 16,150 |
| Journalism | 15,466 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,784 |
View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >
Majors Similar to Communication & Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 306,739 |
| Social Sciences | 203,399 |
| Psychology | 177,655 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 59,281 |
| History | 32,806 |
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.
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