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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

46 Ranked Colleges
1,678 Degrees Awarded
$9,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 21,991 people earned their degree in communication sciences, making the major the 48th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,716 and had an average of $35,422 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,379 communication sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,549 and $35,506 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,678 communication sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 46 colleges that offered a degree in communication sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern University Communication Sciences Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication sciences students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication Sciences at UW - Madison

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue Communication Sciences Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Indiana University - Bloomington

With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Ohio State

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#8

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#10

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #10, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 66 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at Ball State University

#11

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at UW - Whitewater

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Communication Sciences Report

#13

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $10,872 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full GSU Communication Sciences Report

#14

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 13 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at Grand Valley State University

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Central Michigan has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan University.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Central Michigan

#16

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Xavier University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,266 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Saint Xavier University

#17

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at Northern Illinois University

#18

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, Indiana

Saint Mary’s College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. St. Mary’s College is a small school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 19 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Mary’s College also made our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for St. Mary’s College is $13,637 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at Saint Mary’s College

#19

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. PFW is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read more about Communication Sciences at PFW

#20

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $12,350 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication Sciences at EIU

#21

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,137 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Northern Michigan University

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication sciences students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Communication Sciences Report

#23

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 71 bachelors’s communication sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 more about Communication Sciences at Illinois State

#24

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,413 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State.

Full Wayne State Communication Sciences Report

#25

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $9,422 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication Sciences at Indiana State University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Ghozt Tramp.

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