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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)

186 Ranked Colleges
9,341 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Media Studies is the 74th most popular major in the country with 10,951 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 186 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 418 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,352 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 166 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,490 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.

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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter

#3

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Out of the 186 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Berea College landed the #3 spot on the list. Berea is a small school located in Berea, Kentucky that handed out 24 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Berea College is $5,184 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 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%.

Full Berea College Communication & Media Studies Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 186 schools in the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #5 spot on the list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,514 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 UT Rio Grande Valley Communication & Media Studies Report

Top 15% in overall quality

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 245 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,296 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend Florida International University.

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 Florida International University

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 470 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

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

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Communication & Media Studies Report

#8

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for QC is $3,067 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at QC

#9

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid per year to attend Lehman.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Lehman

Top 20% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 182 degrees to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa excels when it comes to media studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#11

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 284 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UC Berkeley

#12

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #12, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 13 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State College at Jacksonville is $3,916 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Florida State College at Jacksonville

#13

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 104 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $7,406 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UWF

#20 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 71 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV excels when it comes to media studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $11,424 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend UNLV.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,748 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Full UNC Greensboro Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 262 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,173 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State University

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s media studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,399 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid per year to attend CSUSM.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM Communication & Media Studies Report

#19

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,045 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at MSU Texas

#20

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#14 in overall quality

Towson University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Towson University is a large school located in Towson, Maryland that handed out 211 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid list, Towson has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Towson is $18,233 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full Towson University Communication & Media Studies Report

#21

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s media studies degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,435 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Communication & Media Studies Report

#22

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. ECU is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 19 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend East Central University is $10,334 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at ECU

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 40 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#24 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 199 bachelors’s media studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong

#24

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Carolina A & T State University is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,274 for bachelor’s degree media studies students with aid per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Carolina A & T State University

#25

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 bachelors’s media studies degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UWM also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for Bachelor’s Degree Media Studies students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Communication & Media Studies Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Media Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#27

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#28

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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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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