2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 9,349 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,317 and $25,730 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,125 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 130 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.
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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 130 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 317 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 290 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend UW - 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - Madison
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 472 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at IU Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 students.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Communication & Media Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Whitewater
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $7,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Full Indiana University - Northwest Communication & Media Studies Report
Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 455 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,173 for great lakes region 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. The school has an impressive 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 Michigan State University
With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
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%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Parkside
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW Oshkosh
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Full UW - Stevens Point Communication & Media Studies Report
Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. IU East is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend IU East is $7,722 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
The low 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UW - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 332 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UW - Eau Claire
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Communication & Media Studies Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 485 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Full Purdue University Northwest Communication & Media Studies Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 65 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Communication & Media Studies Report
Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Southeast
Governors State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 43 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.
Northern Illinois University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 164 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northern Illinois University
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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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