23
Ranked Colleges
152
Degrees Awarded
$34,400
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 10,005 people earned their degree in communication & media studies, making the major the 82nd most popular in the United States.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 152 communication & media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication & media studies. That schools that top this list have a program in communication & media studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major” list to help you make the college 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oregon. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 10 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UO
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University landed the #2 spot on the list. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 Texas Tech University
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s media studies degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 OHIO Athens Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s media studies degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at American University
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Temple University landed the #5 spot on the list. Temple University is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Temple University
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking, coming in at #6. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 6 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UT Knoxville
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State University
University of Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s media studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UF
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s media studies degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SIUC Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking, coming in at #12. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 8 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UGA
University of Memphis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. University of Memphis is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Memphis
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 97%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Syracuse University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. Syracuse is a large school located in Syracuse, New York that handed out 5 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Syracuse
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s media studies degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Oklahoma Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Colorado Boulder
University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UofSC Communication & Media Studies Report
Drexel University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking, coming in at #19. Drexel University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Drexel University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking, coming in at #20. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
With a ranking of #21, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s media studies degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full KU Communication & Media Studies Report
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s media studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full ASU - Tempe Communication & Media Studies Report
Brown University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Media Studies Major ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 4 doctorate’s media studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Brown
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
Credits
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