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2025 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee

12 Colleges in Tennessee
1,536 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,306 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in communication & journalism, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #11 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 12 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,536 degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School

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

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

Communication & Journalism Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Master's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Doctor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee 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 & Journalism in Tennessee

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 communication & journalism degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Communication & Journalism

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In TN
32 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded

Vanderbilt University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in communication & journalism. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 32 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$38,964 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in communication & journalism has to take a look at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #226 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were about 379 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, communication & journalism degree recipients usually make about $38,964 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Communication Program Name

With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.

More information about a degree in BA in Communication from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$41,889 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in communication & journalism has to check out Belmont University. Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #237 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were roughly 113 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Belmont University receive $4,583 more than the standard communication & journalism grad.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Belmont University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$30,110 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in communication & journalism has to look into University of Memphis. UofM is a very large public university located in the large city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #807 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 181 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the communication & journalism program make an average of $30,110 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Memphis

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
193 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$29,885 Median Starting Salary

Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro. This university ranks 18th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 193 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients generally make about $29,885 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Middle Tennessee State University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #959 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Chattanooga is a great university overall.

There were about 107 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, communication & journalism degree recipients generally make an average of $33,082 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$27,674 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #802 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were about 91 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year. After graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients typically make about $27,674 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from East Tennessee State University

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MA in Communication Program Name

Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.

More information about a degree in MA in Communication from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 77 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communication & journalism degree recipients generally make around $29,762 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Lee University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$29,144 Median Starting Salary

Austin Peay State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville. This university ranks 25th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 94 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communication & journalism program make an average of $29,144 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Austin Peay State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
23.1% Growth in Graduates

UT Martin is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Martin. This university ranks 32nd out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 39 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Martin in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, communication & journalism degree recipients usually make around $26,803 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from The University of Tennessee - Martin

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 3,740
West Virginia 38 547
Mississippi 38 878
South Carolina 38 1,357
Florida 38 5,962
Virginia 38 2,530
Arkansas 38 946
Alabama 37 1,829
Kentucky 37 1,541
Georgia 37 3,104
Louisiana 37 1,013

View All Rankings >

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 899
Public Relations & Advertising 289
Journalism 264
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 37
Communication & Journalism (Other) 35
Publishing 12

View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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