2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 110 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for communications students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 15% Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Western Illinois University the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, communications majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $24,274 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value communication and media studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . UW Oshkosh is a large public school located in the city of Oshkosh.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW Oshkosh are $15,306 a year. On average, communications graduates from UW Oshkosh take out $24,875 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Whitewater.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Whitewater are $16,602 per year. On average, communications graduates from UW - Whitewater take out $23,720 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $260.
UW - Whitewater excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW - La Crosse take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $21,686. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $113, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - La Crosse also is in the top 10% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Central Michigan University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. Central Michigan is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $251, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NIU are $14,738 a year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from NIU carry an average student debtload of $27,694. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $199, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year. Communications majors at UW - River Falls take out an average of $21,755 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls also is in the top 10% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Eastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,551 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at EIU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,210. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. Located in the suburb of Kenosha, UW - Parkside is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Parkside are $15,714 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW - Parkside take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $26,844.
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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Stevens Point.
UW - Stevens Point undergraduate students pay an average of $17,035 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from UW - Stevens Point carry an average student debtload of $23,947. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $214.
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. Located in the city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 a year. On average, communications graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $21,366 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
UW - Eau Claire also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Green Bay.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Green Bay are $16,091 a year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from UW - Green Bay carry an average student debtload of $22,314.
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Eastern Michigan University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan is a large public school located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti.
Eastern Michigan undergraduate students pay an average of $15,500 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Eastern Michigan take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,454. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $128, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Purdue University Northwest came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue Northwest is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Purdue Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,349 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at Purdue Northwest take out an average of $29,272 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Illinois State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $24,172 per year. On average, communications graduates from Illinois State take out $19,641 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $242.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Illinois State also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 18 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 19 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 20 | Miami University - Hamilton | Hamilton, OH |
| 21 | Indiana University - Kokomo | Kokomo, IN |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI |
| 22 | Purdue University Global | Indianapolis, IN |
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 Majors for Communications
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 25 schools only.
- 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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