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2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

281 Ranked Colleges
22,298 Degrees Awarded
$3,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Communication Sciences is the 47th most popular major in the country with 22,298 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, communication sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $47,173 and had an average of $22,255 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 281 colleges that offered a degree in communication sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Communication Sciences Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Northwestern

2
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 39 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt University Communication Sciences Report

3
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Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 32 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at WUSTL

4
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 281 schools in the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication Sciences at UF

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 153 ’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at UW - Madison

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 41 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

7
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Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 159 ’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $881 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Lehman College

8

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 205 diplomas to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at Cal State LA

9
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $396 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Hunter

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 253 degrees to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, USF Tampa is in the top on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication Sciences Report

11
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Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 105 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at IU Bloomington

12

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

13
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 126 degrees to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Communication Sciences Report

14
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication sciences degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,344 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Queens College Communication Sciences Report

15

California State University - Fresno landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 172 degrees to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Communication Sciences Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 89 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UIUC Communication Sciences Report

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 142 diplomas to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to communication sciences quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $4,950 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Florida State Communication Sciences Report

18
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #18, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 144 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Brooklyn College

19

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication sciences degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at University of Maryland - College Park

20

California State University - Fullerton landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 186 diplomas to qualified ’s communication sciences students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,590 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at California State University - Fullerton

21
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 121 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $8,303 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at University of Georgia

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication sciences degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to communication sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,698 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Communication Sciences Report

23
Orange Coast College crest
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California

Orange Coast College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orange Coast College is a fairly large public school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 23 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Orange Coast College is $3,681 for communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Orange Coast College Communication Sciences Report

24
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 192 ’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,169 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at San Diego State University

25

California State University - Northridge came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 281 ’s communication sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at CSUN

Rest of the Best 43 in Best Value Communication Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California
27
28
29
30
31
Cerritos College crest
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California
32
33
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
34
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American River College
Sacramento, California
35
36
37
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
38
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
39
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Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, California
40
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Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
41
42
43
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Towson University
Towson, Maryland

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