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2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

26 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 10,951 people earned their degree in communication and media studies, making the major the 74th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,659 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,555 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The media studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 470 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Communication & Media Studies Report

#3

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 262 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies 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 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 & Media Studies at Michigan State

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - South Bend landed the #5 spot on the list. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Indiana University - South Bend did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - South Bend

#6

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#2 in overall quality

Denison University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

Denison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,990 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Denison University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Denison

#7

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

USI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at USI

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 152 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UWM has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,222 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UWM.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Communication & Media Studies Report

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 22 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UM Dearborn has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#11

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Governors State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,872 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Governors State University.

Full Governors State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#9 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Miami University - Oxford

#19 in overall quality

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 19 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Wright State University - Main Campus also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,460 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

#25 in overall quality

Miami University - Hamilton came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hamilton, Ohio, this small public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Hamilton also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Hamilton is $8,993 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Miami University - Hamilton Communication & Media Studies Report

#15

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

University of St Francis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Saint Francis

#16

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Marquette University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marquette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marquette also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $19,169 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marquette.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Marquette

#17

Otterbein University

Westerville, Ohio
#13 in overall quality

Otterbein University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Westerville, Ohio, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Otterbein, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Otterbein University is $17,028 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 & Media Studies at Otterbein

#10 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend OHIO Athens.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at OHIO Athens

#19

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, Ohio
#16 in overall quality

Heidelberg University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Heidelburg College is located in Tiffin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

Heidelburg College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,385 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Heidelberg University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Heidelburg College

#20

Saint Norbert College

De Pere, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

Saint Norbert College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SNC is a private not-for-profit institution located in De Pere, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SNC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $20,608 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Norbert College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Norbert College

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Communication & Media Studies Report

#15 in overall quality

Baldwin Wallace University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Baldwin Wallace College is a small school located in Berea, Ohio that handed out 6 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Baldwin Wallace College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baldwin Wallace College is $17,430 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Baldwin Wallace University

#22 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Trinity International University - Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Deerfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TIU Illinois also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $17,405 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TIU Illinois.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend North Park is $17,808 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Park University

#25

Rochester University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#23 in overall quality

Rochester University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,046 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rochester University.

Full Rochester University Communication & Media Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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