Find Affordable College Courses

What Do You Want to Study?

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

683 Colleges
$34,115 Avg Salary
$25,414 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You

In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 683 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for communications majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Top Schools in Communication & Media Studies

#1

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Our analysis found Santa Clara University to be the best school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.

Communications majors at SCU take out an average of $18,250 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Santa Clara University

Request Information
#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Communications majors at UPenn take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Pennsylvania Report

Request Information
#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for communication and media studies students. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Communications majors at Northwestern take out an average of $18,366 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Request Information
#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Baltimore.

Read More…

Request Information

Out of the 683 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, communications graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $12,207. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $328.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley

Request Information
#6

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Wake Forest University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

On average, communications graduates from Wake Forest University take out $20,911 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $840.

Read More…

Request Information
#7

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

With a ranking of #7, Cornell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, communications majors at Cornell accumulate an average of around $15,500 in student debt.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cornell University

Request Information

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #8 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, communications graduates from U-M carry an average student debtload of $19,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $435, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #9 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UT Austin take out is $20,070. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $362, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Request Information

Colorado State University - Global Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the large city of Greenwood Village, Colorado State University - Global Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, communications majors at Colorado State University - Global Campus accumulate an average of around $31,905 in student debt.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Colorado State University - Global Campus

Request Information
#11

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Chestnut Hill.

While working on their degree, communications majors at Boston College accumulate an average of around $18,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $609.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Boston College Report

Request Information
#12

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, NY

The Graduate Center, CUNY came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Located in the large city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, communications majors at The Graduate Center accumulate an average of around $19,937 in student debt.

Full Communication & Media Studies at The Graduate Center, CUNY Report

Request Information
#13

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

College of Saint Benedict landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. CSB is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Saint Joseph.

While working on their degree, communications majors at CSB accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at College of Saint Benedict

Request Information
#14

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

Drake University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Drake University

Request Information
#15

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Villanova take out is $26,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $854.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Villanova University Report

Request Information

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Read More…

Request Information

University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #17 on the list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

On average, communications graduates from USC take out $17,750 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $516.

Read More…

Request Information
#18

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

University of Delaware came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Newark, UD is a public college with a very large student population.

Communications majors at UD take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $801, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UCSB take out is $13,921. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.

Full Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

Request Information
#20

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT

Fairfield University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield U is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, communications graduates from Fairfield U take out $26,411 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $602.

Read More…

Request Information

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, communications graduates from Mizzou carry an average student debtload of $22,814. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $531, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information
#22

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Communications majors at Purdue take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $368, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus Report

Request Information
#23

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

With a ranking of #23, Texas Christian University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. TCU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Fort Worth.

While working on their degree, communications majors at TCU accumulate an average of around $21,750 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $684, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information
#24

Elon University

Elon, NC

Elon University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #24 on the list. Elon is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon.

Communications majors at Elon take out an average of $24,819 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $664.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Elon University

Request Information

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, communications graduates from UNC Chapel Hill take out $16,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $361.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Request Information

Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

#26

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#27

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN
#28

Denison University

Granville, OH
#30

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH
#34

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI
#36

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
#40

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL
#43

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS
#44

Furman University

Greenville, SC
#46

Stanford University

Stanford, CA
#47

Samford University

Birmingham, AL
#48

George Washington University

Washington, DC
#49

Northeastern University

Boston, MA
#50

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Communication & Media Studies Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 683 different United States communication and media studies schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
52 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA
53 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
54 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
55 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
56 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
57 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
58 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
59 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
60 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
61 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
62 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
63 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
64 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
65 University of Georgia Athens, GA
66 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
67 Boston University Boston, MA
68 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
69 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
70 Iowa State University Ames, IA
71 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
72 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
73 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
74 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
75 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
76 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
77 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
78 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
79 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
80 Seattle University Seattle, WA
81 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
82 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
83 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
84 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
85 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
86 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
87 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
88 University of Denver Denver, CO
89 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
90 Hanover College Hanover, IN
91 American University Washington, DC
92 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
93 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
94 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
95 Hope College Holland, MI
96 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
97 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
98 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
99 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
100 Winona State University Winona, MN
101 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
102 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Communication & Media Studies Schools award.

Rank College Location
103 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
104 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
105 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
106 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
107 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
108 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
109 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA
110 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
111 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
112 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
113 Roanoke College Salem, VA
114 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
115 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
115 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
117 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
118 Illinois State University Normal, IL
119 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
120 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
121 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
122 Loras College Dubuque, IA
123 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
124 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
125 Belmont University Nashville, TN
126 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
127 Luther College Decorah, IA
128 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
129 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
130 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
131 Baylor University Waco, TX
132 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
133 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
134 Marymount University Arlington, VA
135 Towson University Towson, MD
136 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Communication & Media Studies by Region

View the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.