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2025 Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

22 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,442 Master's Degrees
$60,071 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Journalism isn't the most popular master's program in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #15 in popularity out of 37 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for communication & journalism students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,442 master's degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School for Your Master's Degree

Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of communication & journalism for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & journalism students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communication & Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The communication & journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication & journalism.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Master's in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
441 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in communication & journalism. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in communication & journalism needs to take a look at Purdue University - Main Campus. Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Purdue University - Main Campus

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18 Annual Graduates

University of Wisconsin - Madison is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication & journalism. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison

4
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Annual Graduates

Michigan State University is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in communication & journalism. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Michigan State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
16 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Milwaukee, Marquette is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Marquette University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Annual Graduates

OHIO Athens is a very large public university located in the town of Athens.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Ohio University - Athens Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Kent State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Kent.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Kent State University at Kent

9
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
11 Annual Graduates

Butler is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Indianapolis.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Butler University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10 Annual Graduates

UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Whitewater.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges by State

Explore the best communication & journalism colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Illinois 34 705
Indiana 33 321
Ohio 32 158
Michigan 31 231
Wisconsin 31 57

View All Rankings >

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 613
Communication & Media Studies 561
Public Relations & Advertising 172
Journalism 92
Communication & Journalism (Other) 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 2,552
Theology & Religious Vocations 1,986
English Language & Literature 792
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 426
History 347
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 302
Philosophy & Religious Studies 270
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 230
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 204

Notes and References

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