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2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

26 Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
3,011 Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,850 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in communication & media studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #10 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 26 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,011 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region Your choice of communication & media studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Communication & Media Studies 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 in the Rocky Mountains Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the communications degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Rocky Mountains Region Schools in Communications

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
216 Communications Degrees Awarded
10.6% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Colorado Boulder if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #145 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means CU - Boulder is a great university overall.

There were about 216 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Colorado Boulder get an earnings boost of about $2,888 above the typical earnings of communication & media studies majors.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
289 Communications Degrees Awarded
$53,070 Median Starting Salary

University of Denver is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. DU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Denver. A Best Colleges rank of #174 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DU is a great university overall.

There were about 289 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Denver get an earnings boost of about $16,219 above the average income of communication & media studies majors.

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

3
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
337 Communications Degrees Awarded
$43,801 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in communication & media studies needs to take a look at University of Utah. Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #213 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U of U is a great university overall.

There were about 337 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at U of U in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Utah earn $6,951 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
178 Communications Degrees Awarded
$38,731 Median Starting Salary

Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a good choice for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Fort Collins, Colorado State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #178 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Colorado State is a great university overall.

There were about 178 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Colorado State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program make about $38,731 for their early career.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Colorado State University - Fort Collins

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Communications Degrees Awarded
$37,954 Median Starting Salary

Boise State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Boise. A Best Colleges rank of #512 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boise State is a great university overall.

There were about 198 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Boise State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communications degree recipients typically make about $37,954 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Communications Degrees Awarded
12.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #257 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means BYU is a great university overall.

There were about 109 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at Brigham Young University - Provo get $9,897 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Brigham Young University - Provo

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Communications Degrees Awarded
$39,662 Median Starting Salary

CU Anschutz is a very large public university located in the city of Denver. This university ranks 14th out of 31 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 155 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at CU Anschutz in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus make $2,812 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Communications Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Ogden, WSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #389 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 151 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Weber State University earn a boost of approximately $10,875 above the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

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

9
Dixie State College crest
Dixie State University
Saint George, UT
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Communications Degrees Awarded
$32,815 Median Starting Salary

Dixie State College is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Saint George. This university ranks 10th out of 11 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were approximately 79 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Dixie State College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communications degree recipients generally make an average of $32,815 in their early careers.

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

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Communications Degrees Awarded
28.6% Growth in Graduates

UM is a large public university located in the city of Missoula. This university ranks 3rd out of 12 colleges for overall quality in the state of Montana.

There were roughly 63 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UM in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communications program make about $34,377 in the first couple years of their career.

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

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication & media studies colleges for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Colorado 275 1,248
Utah 266 1,149
Idaho 219 565
Montana 188 60
Wyoming 162 87

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Communication & Media Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Communications Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 1,788
Communications 845
Communication & Media Studies 240
Other Communication & Media Studies 138

View All Communications Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 874
Journalism 491
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 310
Publishing 53
Communication & Journalism (Other) 9

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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