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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

44 Ranked Colleges
716 Degrees Awarded
$23,700 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 83 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 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 Northwestern University are $56,567.

Full Northwestern Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 205 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. 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 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 UIUC are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338.

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 $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. 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

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 7 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point are $19,178, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Stevens Point

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Whitewater are $19,200, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#10

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Oakland University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 6 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 are $24,648.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Oakland

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at EIU are $20,761, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 12 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#13

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Valley State University are $17,448, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Grand Valley State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. PFW is a medium-sized school located in Fort Wayne, Indiana 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 Purdue University Fort Wayne are $14,618.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne

#15

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue 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 you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University Northwest Communication & Media Studies Report

With a ranking of #16, 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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IUPUI

#17

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - South Bend is a small public school situated in South Bend, Indiana. It awarded 1 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indiana University - South Bend, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - South Bend are $18,275, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - South Bend

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #19 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 University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UIC

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Southern Indiana

#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 $30-$48k list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Central Michigan

#21

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State 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 $30-$48k ranking. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at GSU are $14,674, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#22

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 23 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 Wayne State University are $37,215.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wayne State

#23

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 18 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 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 - Milwaukee are $25,295.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#24

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State University are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ball State

#25

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State University are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Illinois State Communication & Media Studies Report

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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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