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2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

127 Ranked Colleges
10,019 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 10,019 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,771 and $23,915 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 127 colleges that offer a degree 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Communication & Media Studies Report

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 127 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 96 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UPenn

3
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 99 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,133 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cornell University

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 127 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Johns Hopkins University

5
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 164 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,135 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Hunter College

6

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 289 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $11,567 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Maryland - College Park

7
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 74 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,105 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Brooklyn College Communication & Media Studies Report

8
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Baruch College is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $2,741 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Baruch College

9
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #9, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. QC is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 128 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,524 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 QC

10
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 82 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $3,035 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full CCNY Communication & Media Studies Report

11
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UD is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 175 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $14,583 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UD

12
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Poughkeepsie, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,193 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vassar.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Vassar College

13
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York

Nassau Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Nassau Community College is a fairly large school located in Garden City, New York that handed out 37 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Nassau Community College is $3,889 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Nassau Community College

14

Borough of Manhattan Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Borough of Manhattan Community College is $6,148 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full BMCC Communication & Media Studies Report

15
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

Towson University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Towson University is a public institution located in Towson, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Towson also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Towson is $12,452 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Towson University Communication & Media Studies Report

16
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York

With a ranking of #16, LaGuardia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. LaGuardia Community College is located in Long Island City, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for LaGuardia is $7,587 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at LaGuardia Community College

17
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale crest
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Farmingdale, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 62 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $6,411 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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 SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale

18
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 63 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $3,381 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Lehman College

19
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #19, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Buffalo, New York, this large public school awarded 362 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

University at Buffalo also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $17,022 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University at Buffalo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 at Buffalo

20
CSI crest
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, New York

With a ranking of #20, College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of Staten Island CUNY is a fairly large school located in Staten Island, New York that handed out 91 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for College of Staten Island CUNY is $5,742 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at CSI

21
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #21, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. George Washington University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 47 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

GWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $14,889 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend George Washington University.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at George Washington University

22
Community College of Philadelphia crest
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Community College of Philadelphia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 29 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Community College of Philadelphia is $13,594 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Community College of Philadelphia

23
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, New York

SUNY Oneonta landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SUNY Oneonta is a public institution located in Oneonta, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 186 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Oneonta is $14,199 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SUNY Oneonta

24
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Villanova is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 158 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Villanova also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova is $26,460 for Middle Atlantic Region Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Villanova University

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 312 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $15,182 for middle atlantic region communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Rutgers New Brunswick

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