610
Ranked Colleges
66,787
Degrees Awarded
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 66,787 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the 10th most popular major in the United States. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 610 colleges that offer 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The communications school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $5,849 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $7,081 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Stanford University
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 #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 92 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $8,106 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
Out of the 610 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 151 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Johns Hopkins Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 277 students in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at U-M
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 668 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It costs about $9,785 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell University.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cornell
With a ranking of #8, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 391 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 411 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $8,393 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UW Seattle Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $12,020 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UPenn Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 189 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
UF excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,394 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Florida
Wake Forest University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 156 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Forest University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,228 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wake Forest University.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Wake Forest University Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 334 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison
University of California - Berkeley ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 268 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Central New Mexico Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Central New Mexico Community College is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Central New Mexico Community College is $5,520 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Central New Mexico Community College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 327 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communications students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 458 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,369 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 403 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full USF Tampa Communication & Media Studies Report
University of California - Davis ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 300 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UC Davis
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,700 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA
Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 164 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $6,908 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter
University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 106 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $11,291 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at UMSL
With a ranking of #23, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 483 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, ASU - Tempe also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $15,561 for Communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at ASU - Tempe
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 469 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSB Communication & Media Studies Report
Florida International University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 573 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,292 for communications students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Florida International University Communication & Media Studies Report
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