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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Speech Communication

856 Ranked Colleges
41,146 Degrees Awarded
$31,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 41,146 people earned their degree in speech communication, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major” ranking looked at 856 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in speech communication. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in speech communication.

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 “Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for speech communication students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 777 diplomas to qualified ’s speech communication students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Speech Communication Report

2

Out of the 856 schools in the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 580 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Speech Communication Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 492 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at California State University - Sacramento

4

Out of the 856 schools in the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #4 spot on the list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 468 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Speech Communication at Arizona State University - Tempe

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 470 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 92%.

Full UCF Speech Communication Report

6

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 448 ’s speech communication degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at Arizona State University - Skysong

7
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #7. JMU is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 446 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full James Madison University Speech Communication Report

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 411 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on Speech Communication at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 387 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Speech Communication Report

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 367 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Speech Communication at University of Southern California

10

California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 367 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Speech Communication at CSUN

12
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #12. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 352 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Speech Communication at University at Buffalo

13
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 343 degrees to qualified ’s speech communication students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Speech Communication Report

13
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #13. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 343 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full U of U Speech Communication Report

15
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #15. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 345 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Speech Communication at East Carolina University

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 332 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State Speech Communication Report

17

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 326 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Speech Communication at University of Wisconsin - Madison

18

Florida International University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 320 ’s speech communication degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at Florida International University

19
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #19. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 312 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Speech Communication Report

20

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 310 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Speech Communication at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

21
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Arizona Speech Communication Report

22

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking, coming in at #22. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 289 degrees to qualified ’s speech communication students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Speech Communication Report

23
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

With a ranking of #23, University of Connecticut did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. This large school is located in Storrs, Connecticut, and it awarded 287 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Speech Communication at University of Connecticut

24
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. Albany, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s speech communication degrees to 269 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full UAlbany Speech Communication Report

25

With a ranking of #25, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 262 ’s speech communication degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Speech Communication Report

25
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major ranking. UARK is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Arkansas Speech Communication Report

Rest of the Best 49 in Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
28
29
30
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado
31
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
32
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
33
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona
34
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
35
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
35
37
38
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
39
40
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
41
42
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
43
44
45
46
47
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
48
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University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
48
50
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Speech Communication Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
52Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL
53University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI
54Long Beach City CollegeLong Beach, CA
55George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
56Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, CA
56University of DelawareNewark, DE
58Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
59University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
60Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
61California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
61University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
63University of DaytonDayton, OH
64University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
65Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
RankCollegeLocation
66University of KansasLawrence, KS
66College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
68University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
68Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD
70Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
71The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
71Kean UniversityUnion, NJ
71Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
74Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
75Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC
75Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
75Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
78California State University - East BayHayward, CA
79Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
80Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
80Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
80University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
83William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ
84California State University - Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA
85Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
86Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
86University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
88Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
88Orange Coast CollegeCosta Mesa, CA
90Weber State UniversityOgden, UT
RankCollegeLocation
91Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
92Chaffey CollegeRancho Cucamonga, CA
93Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA
94University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
95Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
96Mt. San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA
97Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
97Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA
99SUNY OneontaOneonta, NY
100Bakersfield CollegeBakersfield, CA
101University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
102University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
103University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
104Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
105California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
106California State University - BakersfieldBakersfield, CA
106Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ
108University of North TexasDenton, TX
109Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
110Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, UT
111Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
112St John’s University - New YorkQueens, NY
113California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
114El Camino CollegeTorrance, CA
114West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
RankCollegeLocation
114Diablo Valley CollegePleasant Hill, CA
117University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
117Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
119California State University - ChicoChico, CA
119Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA
119SUNY GeneseoGeneseo, NY
122Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
123Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA
123Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
125Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
125De Anza CollegeCupertino, CA
127Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
128University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
128Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
128Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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