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2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Wisconsin

15 Colleges in Wisconsin
1,207 Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,850 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #10 in popularity, communication & media studies is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 15 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Wisconsin ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,207 degrees in communication & media studies annually.

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

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Wisconsin 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for communication & media studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Wisconsin ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in Wisconsin

The schools below may not offer all types of communications degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Wisconsin Schools in Communications

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
270 Communications Degrees Awarded
$37,286 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 270 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program state that they receive average early career earnings of $37,286.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Communications Degrees Awarded
$39,367 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Whitewater if you want to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. UW - Whitewater is a large public university located in the town of Whitewater. A Best Colleges rank of #400 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Whitewater is a great university overall.

There were about 100 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Whitewater in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater earn $2,517 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,040 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #673 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UWM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 222 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UWM in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career earnings of $38,040.

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

4
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,443 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in communication & media studies has to take a look at Marquette University. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Marquette is a great university overall.

There were roughly 43 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Marquette in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, communications degree recipients usually earn around $36,443 in the first five years of their career.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Communications Degrees Awarded
$40,333 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #456 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW - Eau Claire is a great university overall.

There were roughly 43 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Eau Claire in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire receive $3,483 more than the average communications student.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Communications Degrees Awarded
18.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #380 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - La Crosse is a great university overall.

There were approximately 99 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - La Crosse in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse make $3,443 more than the typical communications grad.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Communications Degrees Awarded
21.4% Growth in Graduates

SNC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of De Pere. This college ranks 31st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 42 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SNC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program earn around $38,287 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Saint Norbert College

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Communications Degrees Awarded
$35,724 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 35th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 48 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Stevens Point in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communications degree recipients generally earn around $35,724 in their early careers.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Communications Degrees Awarded
$40,673 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 34th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 42 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Oshkosh in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh earn $3,823 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,309 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 26th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 38 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - River Falls in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, communications degree recipients usually make around $38,309 in the first five years of their career.

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

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 1,777
Ohio 314 2,148
Illinois 304 2,069
Indiana 294 1,549

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 672
Communications 357
Communication & Media Studies 156
Other Communication & Media Studies 22

View All Communications Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Communications

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 324
Journalism 307
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 245
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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