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2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

26 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$14,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 26 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 470 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#4

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Denison University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Denison is a small school located in Granville, Ohio that handed out 78 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Denison also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $13,909 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Denison University Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - South Bend. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Indiana University - South Bend not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $5,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - South Bend

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

Michigan 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 262 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 $30-$48k 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. It costs about $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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

#8 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 152 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,957 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UWM

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 67 bachelors’s media studies 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 $14,999 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Governors State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,046 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at GSU

#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 $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Dearborn, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

University of Southern Indiana ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 26 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 $30-$48k list, USI has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Southern Indiana

#12

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

University of St Francis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $11,229 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 St Francis

#25 in overall quality

Miami University - Hamilton landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami University - Hamilton is a small public school situated in Hamilton, Ohio. It awarded 1 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 $30-$48k list, Miami University - Hamilton has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Hamilton is $9,820 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Miami University - Hamilton

#9 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. 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 yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $17,692 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Miami University - Oxford

#19 in overall quality

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wright State University - Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

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

#16

Otterbein University

Westerville, Ohio
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Otterbein University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Westerville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

Otterbein also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Otterbein is $17,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Otterbein Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

Saint Norbert College

De Pere, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Saint Norbert College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SNC is a small school located in De Pere, Wisconsin that handed out 28 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SNC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SNC is $22,829 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full SNC Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

Marquette University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

Marquette did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,955 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marquette University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Marquette University

#10 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $18,863 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 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 $30-$48k 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 $15,390 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Olivet Nazarene

#21

Rochester University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#23 in overall quality

Rochester University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

RU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rochester University is $14,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at RU

#22

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, Ohio
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Heidelberg University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The yearly cost to attend Heidelburg College is $16,683 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Heidelburg College

#23

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,270 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Park.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at North Park University

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Baldwin Wallace University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baldwin Wallace College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baldwin Wallace College is $18,525 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baldwin Wallace University Communication & Media Studies Report

#22 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity International University - Illinois is located in Deerfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity International University - Illinois is $20,693 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree media studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Trinity International University - Illinois

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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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