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Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

64 Colleges
$35,709 Avg Salary
$29,348 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You

With 66,787 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the #10 most popular major in the United States.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 64 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

Check out the communications programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

#1

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

Our 2023 rankings named College of Saint Benedict the best school in the Plains States Region for communication and media studies students. Located in the midsize suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, communications graduates from CSB carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Full Communication & Media Studies at College of Saint Benedict Report

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#2

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

Out of the 64 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Missouri - Columbia is a great place for communication and media studies students. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Columbia.

The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Mizzou take out is $22,814. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $531.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a great place for communication and media studies students. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a very large student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Concordia College at Moorhead. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Concordia College Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead.

Communications majors at Concordia College Moorhead take out an average of $26,959 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Concordia College at Moorhead Report

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University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, UST MN is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, communications majors at UST MN accumulate an average of around $26,999 in student debt.

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#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

University of Kansas ranked #7 on this year’s Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that communications majors at KU take out is $23,250. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $455.

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#8

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Communications majors at Bethel University Minnesota take out an average of $25,875 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#9

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, MN

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the fringe town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Communications majors at Gustavus Adolphus take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College Report

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Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the small city of Ames.

Communications majors at Iowa State take out an average of $23,125 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $145.

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Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Communication & Media Studies students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
11 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
12 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication and media studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 1,007
Minnesota 887
Kansas 490
Iowa 552
Nebraska 156
North Dakota 131
South Dakota 159

One of 5 majors within the area of study, communication and media studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

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