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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k

26 Ranked Colleges
2,867 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across North Carolina, there were 3,015 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,490 and $25,001 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,867 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree 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.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

The communications 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 Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in North Carolina

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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 Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 598 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#2

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 199 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,285 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Communication & Media Studies Report

#3

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Forest University landed the #3 spot on the list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 113 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $5,250 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Wake Forest University

#4

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $7,169 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Appalachian State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #5 spot on the list. UNC Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $8,853 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#6

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ECSU is a small school located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina that handed out 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

ECSU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ECSU is $1,217 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elizabeth City State University

#7

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 302 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

ECU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $11,026 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ECU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at East Carolina University

#8

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 242 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UNCW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $12,229 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNCW.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Communication & Media Studies Report

#9

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC A&T is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 164 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC A&T has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC A&T is $7,493 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at NC A&T

#10

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 344 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $11,991 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Charlotte Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized school located in Fayetteville, North Carolina that handed out 23 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Fayetteville State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $4,330 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fayetteville State University.

Full Fayetteville State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Asheville came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNCA has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville is $8,063 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UNCA

#13

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 55 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $9,188 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Western Carolina University

#14

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Pembroke is located in Pembroke, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UNC Pembroke also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $8,282 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Pembroke.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UNC Pembroke

#15

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, Winston - Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. WSSU is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 34 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

WSSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for WSSU is $10,541 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WSSU Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 56 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Carolina Central University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $12,882 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina Central University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at North Carolina Central University

#17

Salem College

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #17, Salem College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Salem also took the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $14,475 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Salem.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Salem

#18

Catawba College

Salisbury, North Carolina

Catawba College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Catawba, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Catawba.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Catawba

#19

Meredith College

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #19, Meredith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Meredith is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 14 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Meredith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Meredith is $18,882 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Meredith

#20

Barton College

Wilson, North Carolina

With a ranking of #20, Barton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Barton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wilson, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Barton College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Barton College is $20,169 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Barton College

#21

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina

Elon University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elon University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Elon, North Carolina. It awarded 30 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Elon also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Elon is $24,593 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elon University

#22

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Queens University of Charlotte landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Queens is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Queens has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $20,485 for north carolina bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Queens University of Charlotte.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Queens

#23

Lees - McRae College

Banner Elk, North Carolina

Lees - McRae College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lees - McRae College is a small school located in Banner Elk, North Carolina that handed out 3 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lees - McRae College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $16,754 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lees - McRae College.

Full Lees - McRae College Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

Gardner - Webb University

Boiling Springs, North Carolina

Gardner - Webb University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gardner - Webb is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. It awarded 11 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gardner - Webb, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gardner - Webb University is $18,034 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Gardner - Webb Communication & Media Studies Report

#25

William Peace University

Raleigh, North Carolina

William Peace University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William Peace University is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 4 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

WPU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $20,968 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WPU.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at William Peace University

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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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