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2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

16 Colleges in the Southwest Region
718 Master's Degrees
$48,616 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Media Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #44 most popular master's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 718 master's degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School for Your Master's Degree

Best Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of communication & media studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree 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.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

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 colleges for communication & media studies students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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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 Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Communication & Media Studies in the Southwest Region

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication & media studies.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools for a Master's in Communications

1
24 Annual Graduates

Baylor University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the medium-sized city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Baylor University

2
13 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a master's degree in communication & media studies. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from The University of Texas at Austin

3

Texas Tech University is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the large city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduating, communications master's recipients usually make around $47,431 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Texas Tech University

4

It's difficult to beat Arizona State University - Tempe if you want to pursue a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those communication & media studies students who get their master's degree from Arizona State University - Tempe earn $6,820 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Arizona State University - Tempe

5
13 Annual Graduates

UH is a very large public university located in the city of Houston.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from University of Houston

6

ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.

Master's recipients from the communication & media studies major at Arizona State University - Skysong get $6,820 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Arizona State University - Skysong

7
18 Annual Graduates

NAU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Flagstaff.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Northern Arizona University

8
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX

Texas State is a very large public university located in the small city of San Marcos.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the communications program earn around $49,614 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Texas State University

9

Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the city of Phoenix.

Students who graduate with their master's from the communications program report average early career earnings of $48,139.

More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Grand Canyon University

10
16 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Stillwater, OSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication & media studies colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 235 275
Arizona 180 315
Oklahoma 153 27
New Mexico 114 24

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One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Communication & Media Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Communications Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 287
Communications 245
Communication & Media Studies 186

Related Major Annual Graduates
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 246
Public Relations & Advertising 191
Journalism 186
Publishing 12
Communication & Journalism (Other) 4

Notes and References

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