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2023 Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools

670 Colleges in the United States
94,757 Bachelor's Degrees
$32,860 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Journalism is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #8 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 670 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of communication and journalism. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 94,757 bachelor's degrees in communication and journalism during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools The communication and journalism bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality communication and journalism program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree 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 combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for communication and journalism students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communication & Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Communication & Journalism in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. 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 for a Bachelor's in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
374 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism needs to look into Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
493 Annual Graduates

University of Southern California is a wonderful option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Southern California

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
272 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Pennsylvania

5
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
368 Annual Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from New York University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Cornell University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
652 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
512 Annual Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison

9
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Annual Graduates

Villanova is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Villanova University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of California - Berkeley

11
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
722 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Boston University

12
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Wake Forest University

13
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
581 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Syracuse University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
338 Annual Graduates

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
579 Annual Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
390 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Maryland - College Park

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Annual Graduates

Georgia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
462 Annual Graduates

UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of California - Santa Barbara

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,291 Annual Graduates

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from The University of Texas at Austin

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 Annual Graduates

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the suburb of Davis.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of California - Davis

21
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from George Washington University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
443 Annual Graduates

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

23
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
142 Annual Graduates

SCU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Santa Clara.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Santa Clara University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
565 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Indiana University - Bloomington

25
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,174 Annual Graduates

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing.More information about a bachelor’s in communication and journalism from Michigan State University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools

25
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
26
27
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
28
29
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
30
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
31

32

33
34
35
36
37
38
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
39
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
40

41

42
43
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
44
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
45
46
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
47
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
48
49
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 670 different United States communication and journalism schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
51 Baylor University Waco, TX
52 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
53 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
54 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
55 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
56 University of Denver Denver, CO
57 Fordham University Bronx, NY
58 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
59 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
60 Drake University Des Moines, IA
61 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
62 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
63 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
64 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
65 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
66 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
67 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
68 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
69 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
70 Washington State University Pullman, WA
71 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
72 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
73 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
74 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
75 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
76 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
77 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
78 Iowa State University Ames, IA
79 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
80 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
81 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY
82 DePaul University Chicago, IL
83 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
84 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
85 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
86 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
87 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
88 Denison University Granville, OH
89 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
90 Towson University Towson, MD
91 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
92 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
93 Bradley University Peoria, IL
94 Furman University Greenville, SC
95 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
96 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
97 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
98 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
99 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
100 Belmont University Nashville, TN

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 Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
101 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
102 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
103 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
104 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
105 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
106 Chapman University Orange, CA
107 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
108 Ball State University Muncie, IN
109 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
110 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
111 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
112 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
113 Emory University Atlanta, GA
114 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
115 Illinois State University Normal, IL
116 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
117 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
118 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
119 University of North Texas Denton, TX
120 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
121 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
122 University at Albany Albany, NY
123 Creighton University Omaha, NE
124 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
125 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
126 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
127 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
128 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
129 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
130 Winona State University Winona, MN
131 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
132 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
133 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
134 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY

Communication & Journalism by Region

View the Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 53,798
Public Relations & Advertising 17,097
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 11,580
Journalism 11,502
Communication & Journalism (Other) 693
Publishing 87

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 154,807
Psychology 134,434
Education 94,293
History 25,656
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 22,702
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 10,378
Library Science 119

Notes and References

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