2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k)
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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 68,079 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 4,541 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 239 colleges that offered 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University
Out of the 239 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 128 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425.
Full Johns Hopkins University Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 28 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 141 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UF also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Florida
With a ranking of #6, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornell also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cornell University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 26 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #10, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 205 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #0 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Florida International University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 89 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Hunter College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMCP is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885.
Full University of Maryland - College Park Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 16 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #18, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UT Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #19, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UMN Twin Cities is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
California State University - Fullerton landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cal State Fullerton
Queens College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at QC are $21,042.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Queens College
University of Central Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657.
Full University of Central Florida Communication & Media Studies Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 13 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State
Brooklyn College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952.
Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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