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2024 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

613 Colleges in the United States
66,787 Communications Degrees Awarded
$34,115 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Media Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #10 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 613 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 66,787 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools The communications program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Communication & Media Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Communications
Bachelor's Degrees in Communications
Master's Degrees in Communications
Doctor's Degrees in Communications

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communications degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Communications

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
567 Communications Degrees Awarded
$54,939 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 567 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of around $20,824 over the typical income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
207 Communications Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 207 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $24,240 more than the average communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Northwestern University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Communications Degrees Awarded
$50,120 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 96 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $16,005 more than the typical communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Communications Degrees Awarded
$95,483 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 92 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York receive $61,368 more than the typical communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
277 Communications Degrees Awarded
11.2% Growth in Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 277 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $11,646 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
668 Communications Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. This university ranks 2nd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 668 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $14,385 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Communications Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 151 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Johns Hopkins University earn $40,115 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Johns Hopkins University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Communications Degrees Awarded
$44,071 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 99 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Cornell University earn $9,956 more than the typical communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Cornell University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
327 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,661 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 327 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $4,546 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
268 Communications Degrees Awarded
$48,287 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 268 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of about $14,172 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Communications Degrees Awarded
$46,014 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 262 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of around $11,899 above the average income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from The University of Texas at Austin

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
334 Communications Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 334 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive an earnings boost of approximately $16,099 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Wisconsin - Madison

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,895 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 300 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Davis receive $4,780 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Communications Degrees Awarded
$53,099 Median Starting Salary

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 391 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus earn $18,984 more than the typical communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Purdue University - Main Campus

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
469 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,054 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 469 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara make $6,939 more than the average communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
471 Communications Degrees Awarded
19.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 471 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at Texas A&M University - College Station get $4,817 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Texas A&M University - College Station

17
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Communications Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 12th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 142 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Santa Clara University receive an earnings boost of around $18,925 above the average income of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Communications Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 271 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program state that they receive average early career earnings of $34,173.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - San Diego

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
289 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,724 Median Starting Salary

UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 289 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park get an earnings boost of approximately $7,609 over the average income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Maryland - College Park

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
411 Communications Degrees Awarded
$37,823 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were about 411 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of approximately $3,708 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

21
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
543 Communications Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 543 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Michigan State University earn $2,992 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Michigan State University

22
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Communications Degrees Awarded
$42,160 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 158 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Villanova University earn a boost of about $8,045 over the average income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Villanova University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
458 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,828 Median Starting Salary

IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. This university ranks 3rd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 458 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Indiana University - Bloomington get an earnings boost of approximately $7,712 over the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Indiana University - Bloomington

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Communications Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 175 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Texas Christian University make $8,367 more than the standard communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Texas Christian University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Communications Degrees Awarded
48.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 294 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at University of Denver earn $13,304 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Denver

Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

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27
28
29
30
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
31
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
32

33

34
35
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
36
37
38
39
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
40
41
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

42

43
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
44
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
45
Bryant crest
Bryant University
Smithfield, RI
46
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
47
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
48
49
50

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Communication & Media Studies Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 613 different United States communication & media studies schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
52 Drake University Des Moines, IA
53 George Washington University Washington, DC
54 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
55 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
56 American University Washington, DC
57 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
58 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
59 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
60 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
61 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
62 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
63 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
64 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
65 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
66 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
67 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
68 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
69 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
70 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
71 Fordham University Bronx, NY
72 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
73 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
74 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
75 Washington State University Pullman, WA
76 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
77 Chapman University Orange, CA
78 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
79 DePaul University Chicago, IL
80 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
81 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
82 Florida International University Miami, FL
83 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
84 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
85 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
86 Denison University Granville, OH
87 Illinois State University Normal, IL
88 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
89 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
90 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
91 Belmont University Nashville, TN

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Communication & Media Studies Schools award.

Rank College Location
92 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
93 Clark University Worcester, MA
94 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
95 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
96 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
97 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
98 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
99 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
100 Elon University Elon, NC
101 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
102 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
103 Furman University Greenville, SC
104 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
105 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
106 Iowa State University Ames, IA
107 Auburn University Auburn, AL
108 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
109 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
110 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
111 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
112 Emerson College Boston, MA
113 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
114 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
115 Boise State University Boise, ID
116 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
117 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
118 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
119 Emory University Atlanta, GA
119 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
120 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
121 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
122 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM

Communication & Media Studies by Region

View the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.

Communications Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 41,146
Communications 12,001
Communication & Media Studies 10,266
Other Communication & Media Studies 3,374

View All Communications Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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