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Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia

14 Colleges
$36,169 Avg Salary
$28,330 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

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 fairly large public school located in the 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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#2

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very 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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Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Randolph - Macon College landed the # 3 spot on the list. 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.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Randolph - Macon College Report

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#4

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. 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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#5

Roanoke College

Salem, VA

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 midsize 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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#6

Marymount University

Arlington, VA

Marymount University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#7

Radford University

Radford, VA

Radford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Radford is a moderately-sized public school located in the small 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 landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and media studies programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public college with a fairly 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.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University Report

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#9

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA

Bridgewater College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school located in the 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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#10

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

With a ranking of #10, Liberty University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the small 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.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Liberty University Report

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Best 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

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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