2020 Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism
Approximately 120,570 communication and journalism degrees were granted to students last year in the United States. With so many options it can be a challenge finding the best fit for you. This year's Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism ranking analyzed 600 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 25 schools for Communication & Journalism students.
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 college'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.
Over 80% of the schools in this list are in the top 12% of our overall quality ranking while the lowest ranked school on the list is still in the top 17%.
Above Average Earnings After Graduation
A communication and journalism degree from colleges on this list usually results in higher than average wages following graduation. Recent communication and journalism graduates from U.S. schools 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 United States
Learn about 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. Of the 600 schools analyzed, only 25 earned the distinction of being on this list.
Top 25 Best Communication & Journalism Colleges
Every student pursuing a degree in communication and journalism has to look into Emerson College. Located in the city Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This college ranks 295th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Emerson also offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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Northwestern University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a Communication & Journalism degree. Located in the city Evanston, Northwestern U is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 10 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Northwestern U is a great school overall.
There are roughly 863 communication and journalism undergrads studying this program at Northwestern U.
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Syracuse University is one of the best schools in the country for communication and journalism. Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of 107 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Syracuse 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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The University of Texas at Austin is one of the finest schools in the country for communication and journalism. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of 78 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great college overall.
There are approximately 1271 communication and journalism undergraduates enrolled in this program at UT Austin.
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USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of 40 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means USC is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, USC also offers 4 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 medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. This college ranks 213th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
A popular major for communication and journalism undergrads, there are approximately 356 individuals enrolled in this program at Ithaca.
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Located in the large city Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 56 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great school overall.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Boston U also offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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Pepperdine is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Malibu. This school ranks 122nd out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
With 211 undergraduates, Pepperdine University is one of most popular colleges to study communication and journalism in United States.
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The American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington. This school ranks 161st out of 1,727 colleges 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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Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hempstead. This school ranks 284th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Hofstra also offers a Master's Degree in communication and journalism.
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Temple is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Philadelphia. This school ranks 263rd out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
Temple offers communication and journalism degrees as low as a One to Two Year Certificates and all the way up to a Research / Scholarship Based Doctorate's.
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NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. This school ranks 129th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There are about 731 communication and journalism undergrads studying this degree at NYU.
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U Miami is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Coral Gables. A Best Colleges rank of 66 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means U Miami is a great school overall.
With 282 undergraduates, University of Miami is one of most popular colleges to study communication and journalism in United States.
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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 50 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great school overall.
There are about 621 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this program at UNC Chapel Hill.
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Located in the city University Park, Penn State University Park is a public college with a very large student population. This college ranks 170th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
Penn State University Park offers communication and journalism degrees as low as a First Year Certificates and all the way up to a Research / Scholarship Based Doctorate's.
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Located in the medium-sized city Athens, UGA is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 137th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
UGA offers communication and journalism degrees as low as a First Year Certificates and all the way up to a Research / Scholarship Based Doctorate's.
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Located in the small city Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 85 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great college overall.
There are roughly 613 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this program at UIUC.
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Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee. This college ranks 160th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There are about 260 communication and journalism undergrads enrolled in this degree at Marquette.
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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 23 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great school overall.
With 25 undergrads, Washington and Lee University is one of most popular schools to study communication and journalism in United States.
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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 105 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great college overall.
There are approximately 320 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this degree at GWU.
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Located in the large suburb College Park, UMCP is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 103 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great school overall.
There are approximately 508 communication and journalism undergraduates studying this degree at UMCP.
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University of Oklahoma is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Norman. This college ranks 211th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.
There are approximately 398 communication and journalism undergraduates enrolled in this degree at University of Oklahoma.
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SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Dallas. A Best Colleges rank of 87 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means SMU is a great school overall.
With 185 students enrolled, Southern Methodist University is one of most popular schools to study communication and journalism in United States.
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Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing. This college ranks 120th out of 1,727 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There are about 1178 communication and journalism undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Michigan State.
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Located in the large city Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This school ranks 115th out of 1,727 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
With 345 undergrads, Texas Christian University is one of most popular schools to study communication and journalism in United States.
More… Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Colleges for Communication & Journalism badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 600 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 |
| The Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings
Communication & Journalism Related Rankings by Major
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 68,023 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 19,507 |
| Journalism | 15,914 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 14,960 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,920 |
View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >
Majors Similar to Communication & Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 306,214 |
| Social Sciences | 199,576 |
| Psychology | 175,257 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 60,305 |
| History | 32,644 |
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.
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