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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southwest Region

55 Ranked Colleges
5,234 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 68,079 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 6,313 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,423 and $24,273 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,234 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 55 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southwest Region

Out of the 55 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #1 spot on the list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $4,514 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Communication & Media Studies Report

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 280 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $15,016 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Arizona

Out of the 55 schools in the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #3 spot on the list. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 46 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,092 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UT Permian Basin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 256 students in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,944 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona.

Full UOPX - Arizona Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 36 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,074 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Texas A&M International University

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,237 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 432 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at ASU - Tempe

#1 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 272 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,023 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UT Austin.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UT Austin

The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #9 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 289 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k list, UTSA has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $13,853 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Communication & Media Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 247 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Arlington is $14,246 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Texas at Arlington

#11

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #11, East Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Ada, Oklahoma, this small public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,334 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend ECU.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at ECU

#12

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $10,045 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at MSU Texas

#13

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 469 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong

#13

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 346 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $19,057 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #14. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,571 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Texas Tech.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Texas Tech

#15

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 45 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,838 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Houston

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #16. Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus is located in Portales, New Mexico and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus

#17

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State University is $13,819 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Angelo State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Northeastern State University is a public institution located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NSU is $9,994 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

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

#19

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 170 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $15,230 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Texas State Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 177 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,617 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SHSU.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Sam Houston State University

University of Houston - Downtown landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UH Downtown is a fairly large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 82 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UH Downtown is $6,848 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UH Downtown Communication & Media Studies Report

With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UTEP is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $8,920 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso

#23

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. NAU is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 71 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NAU is $12,915 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at NAU

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. The University of Texas at Tyler is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,974 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UT Tyler.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UT Tyler

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,145 for southwest region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Oklahoma 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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