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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

44 Ranked Colleges
716 Degrees Awarded
$23,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 9,349 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,317 and $25,730 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 716 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 26 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. 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 #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 205 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #0. 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIUC

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State

#7

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State University

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater are $19,200, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Whitewater

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report

#10

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 11 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Northwest are $11,633, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue Northwest Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern Indiana are $20,039, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full USI Communication & Media Studies Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SIUE

#13

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 20 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Valley State University are $17,448.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at GVSU

With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#15

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 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 Purdue University Fort Wayne are $14,618.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Communication & Media Studies Report

#16

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Indiana University - South Bend not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - South Bend are $18,275.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Communication & Media Studies Report

#17

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Oakland University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland University are $24,648.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Oakland University

#19 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIC

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 5 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Ball State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 9 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan are $19,359.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Central Michigan University

#21

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Illinois University are $20,761, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University

#22

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 10 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 GSU are $14,674.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Governors State University

#24

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UWM

#25

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 23 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Illinois State University

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UM Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 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 UM Flint are $18,202.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Michigan - Flint

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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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