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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

71 Ranked Colleges
3,293 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 3,723 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,583 and $25,858 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,293 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 71 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#1

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 50 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,462 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Truman State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Truman State University

#2

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 94 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - St Louis

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 203 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States 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 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 190 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

With a ranking of #6, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 36 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,040 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Crookston, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Crookston is $10,952 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UMN Crookston

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 115 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at St. Cloud State University

Iowa State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, Iowa State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at Iowa State University

#10

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend UNI.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at UNI

#11

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 48 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, UNL has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,208 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#13

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southeast Missouri State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It awarded 105 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Southeast Missouri State University

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

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

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Minnesota - Duluth

Missouri Southern State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Missouri Southern

#16

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 66 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,656 for Plains States 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Winona State University

#17

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#18

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Metropolitan State University is a public institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,225 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan State University.

Full Metro State Communication & Media Studies Report

#19

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota

Valley City State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Valley City, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Valley City State University is $11,981 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Full Valley City State University Communication & Media Studies Report

#20

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

Emporia State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Emporia, Kansas, this medium-sized public school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $14,822 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at ESU

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwest is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,354 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Northwest Missouri State University

#22

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas

With a ranking of #22, Washburn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Washburn University is a medium-sized school located in Topeka, Kansas that handed out 56 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,481 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Washburn University.

Full Washburn University Communication & Media Studies Report

#23

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pittsburg, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,436 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Pittsburg State University.

Full Pitt State Communication & Media Studies Report

#24

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, KU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

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

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at KU

#25

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

With a ranking of #25, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UCM is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UCM

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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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