2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,341 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 185 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 418 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $6,063 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 284 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 166 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,394 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 470 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
Florida International University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 245 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,683 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Florida International University
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 86 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,473 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #8, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 182 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $5,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at USF Tampa
The University of West Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of West Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 104 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of West Florida is $3,912 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full The University of West Florida Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,056 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Queens College.
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%.
Berea College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berea, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Berea College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 63 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,289 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman College.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lehman College
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
BYU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $10,425 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo
University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNLV is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $9,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
With a ranking of #15, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,680 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FSCJ.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Florida State College at Jacksonville
Washington State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $11,337 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Washington State University
Trinity University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
Trinity U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity U is $12,991 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Trinity U
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,938 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Towson is a public institution located in Towson, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 211 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Towson also took the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Towson University is $12,632 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,347 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSM.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos
University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 85 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $10,808 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Denison University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Denison is located in Granville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
Denison also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Denison University is $13,909 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Denison University
With a ranking of #23, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 77 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,326 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Tech University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Texas Tech University Communication & Media Studies Report
Macalester College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Macalester College is $14,047 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Macalester College Communication & Media Studies Report
MSU Texas landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $8,554 for bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at MSU Texas
Rest of the Best 29 in Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k
Not only did these schools make the top 29 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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