2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges.
Top 15% Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in the Great Lakes Region 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.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Northwestern University Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly 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.
The excellent programs at Purdue University - Main Campus helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a very 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.
Out of the 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, DePauw University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at DePauw take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $467, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Media Studies at DePauw University Report
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Denison University is a great place for communication and media studies students. Denison is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Granville.
Communications majors at Denison take out an average of $23,187 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Denison University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UIUC take out is $19,176. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $296.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Dayton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, communications graduates from UDayton take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $471.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Dayton
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, communications graduates from UW - Madison carry an average student debtload of $23,250. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $432.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, WLC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Lake Forest College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Communications majors at Lake Forest take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Lake Forest College Report
With a ranking of #11, Saint Mary’s College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, St. Mary's College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, communications graduates from St. Mary's College take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Saint Mary’s College Report
Michigan State University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.
While working on their degree, communications majors at Michigan State accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $444, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Michigan State University Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, communications graduates from Ohio State carry an average student debtload of $24,400. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $286.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus Report
With a ranking of #14, John Carroll University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the large suburb of University Heights, John Carroll is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at John Carroll take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $547, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at John Carroll University
With a ranking of #15, Saint Norbert College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the midsize suburb of De Pere, SNC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, communications majors at SNC accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Saint Norbert College Report
With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
While working on their degree, communications majors at UW - La Crosse accumulate an average of around $23,125 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $113, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #17 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington.
On average, communications graduates from IU Bloomington take out $23,251 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $534.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington
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 in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 19 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 20 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 21 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 22 | Carroll University | Waukesha, WI |
Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and media studies schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,789 |
| Ohio | 2,149 |
| Illinois | 2,072 |
| Indiana | 1,600 |
| Wisconsin | 1,297 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Communication & Media Studies Related Rankings by Major
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Communications
| 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 26 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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