2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 54,842 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 749 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 598 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 463 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 UW Seattle
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 167 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,490 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Hunter College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baruch College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $3,562 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The City College of New York. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. The City College of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend The City College of New York.
Berea College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Berea College is $5,184 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 210 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 317 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 730 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal State Fullerton is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UT 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.
It costs about $4,514 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Farmingdale State College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Farmingdale State College is a public institution located in Farmingdale, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Farmingdale State College is $8,638 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Farmingdale State College
Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 588 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
FIU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 290 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Wisconsin - Madison
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $15,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #15, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $2,683 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Brooklyn College
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 472 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IU Bloomington is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
With a ranking of #17, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The low 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%.
Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,814 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to communications quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 131 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 369 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,414 for bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 365 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, CSULB also did well on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Utah Valley University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Utah Valley University is located in Orem, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 196 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $9,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Utah Valley University
With a ranking of #25, Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Communication & Media Studies Report
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 52 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA |
| 53 | Truman State University | Kirksville, MO |
| 54 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 55 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Durant, OK |
| 56 | California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA |
| 57 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 58 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
| 59 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX |
| 60 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 61 | Indiana University - Northwest | Gary, IN |
| 62 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 63 | University of Phoenix - Arizona | Tempe, AZ |
| 64 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 65 | Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights, KY |
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.
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