2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 2,064 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 14 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia
The following schools top our list of the Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our analysis found James Madison University to be the best school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. JMU is a very large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.
On average, communications graduates from JMU take out $21,500 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 $440.
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The excellent programs at Virginia Tech helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, communications graduates from Virginia Tech carry an average student debtload of $21,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $444, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent programs at Randolph - Macon College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Ashland, Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Randolph - Macon take out is $25,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $629.
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The excellent programs at Christopher Newport University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, communications majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $24,701 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $382.
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The excellent programs at Roanoke College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Virginia. Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Salem.
Communications majors at Roanoke take out an average of $26,391 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Marymount University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #7, Radford University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Radford is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Radford.
While working on their degree, communications majors at Radford accumulate an average of around $23,554 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $241.
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Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, communications graduates from VCU carry an average student debtload of $24,218. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.
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With a ranking of #9, Bridgewater College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Bridgewater.
While working on their degree, communications majors at Bridgewater accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
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Liberty University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Liberty University take out is $25,625. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $529.
Request InformationBest Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 795 |
| North Carolina | 2,972 |
| Florida | 3,020 |
| Tennessee | 1,000 |
| Kentucky | 787 |
| South Carolina | 796 |
| Louisiana | 815 |
| Arkansas | 457 |
| Alabama | 968 |
| Mississippi | 307 |
| West Virginia | 214 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in Virginia
Rankings in Majors Related to Communications
One of 5 majors within the area of study, communication and media studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
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 14 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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