2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 the Plains States region, there were 3,723 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,583 and $25,858 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,293 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 71 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region 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 the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
Full Truman State University Communication & Media Studies Report
Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #2 spot on the list. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Minnesota - Duluth
Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Crookston landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Crookston, Minnesota, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Crookston is $5,832 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Minnesota - Crookston
Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 78 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Iowa State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 190 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $10,757 for Plains States Region 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 86%. 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%.
University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 48 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Iowa landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 203 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 115 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
St. Cloud State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,688 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.
Full Saint Cloud State University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Winona State University is a public institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Winona State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,381 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at Winona State
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 36 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UNOMAHA is $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 77 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Valley City State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valley City State University is a small school located in Valley City, North Dakota that handed out 5 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Valley City State University is $7,026 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Valley City State University
Southeast Missouri State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 105 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $9,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southeast Missouri State University Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 94 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - St Louis
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Gustavus Adolphus has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $12,150 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Gustavus Adolphus
Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $9,990 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwest Missouri State University
Missouri Southern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Missouri Southern State University is a medium-sized school located in Joplin, Missouri that handed out 23 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri Southern State University.
Bethany Lutheran College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. BLC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Bethany Lutheran College is $10,038 for Plains States Region 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 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bethany Lutheran College
Bemidji State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bemidji, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $10,632 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Bemidji State University
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 92 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,065 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMKC.
Saint Louis University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $20,051 for Plains States Region 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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #24, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 34 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kansas State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Kansas State University Communication & Media Studies Report
Emporia State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Emporia, Kansas, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for ESU is $11,624 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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