2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for communications students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 Schools
Our analysis found Columbia College Chicago to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Columbia undergraduate students pay an average of $27,786 in tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from WIU carry an average student debtload of $28,032.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Youngstown State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the small city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Youngstown State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,732 in tuition and fees each year.
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Out of the 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 4 spot on the list. SIUE is a large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. While working on their degree, communications majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $22,203 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Spring Arbor University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Spring Arbor are $31,080 a year.
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. 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. While working on their degree, communications majors at UW Oshkosh accumulate an average of around $26,610 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW Oshkosh is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Whitewater.
UW - Whitewater undergraduate students pay an average of $16,602 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at UW - Whitewater take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $260.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Whitewater also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Report
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University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
UW - La Crosse undergraduate students pay an average of $18,014 in tuition and fees each year. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - La Crosse also is in the top 5% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Northern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. 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. Communications majors at NIU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. 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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With a ranking of #10, Central Michigan University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.
Central Michigan undergraduate students pay an average of $13,094 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Central Michigan take out is $27,000. 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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University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year. On average, communications graduates from UW - River Falls take out $20,939 in student loans while working on their 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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Sinclair Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Sinclair Community College carry an average student debtload of $15,410.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Sinclair Community College Report
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University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha, UW - Parkside is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Parkside are $15,714 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW - Parkside take out is $26,188.
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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. UW - Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Stevens Point.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Stevens Point are $17,035 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW - Stevens Point take out is $25,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $214.
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University of Akron Main Campus landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 per year.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Akron Main Campus Report
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Illinois State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. 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. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $19,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $242.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $22,500.
UW - Eau Claire excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report
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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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
| 19 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
| 21 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN |
| 22 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and media studies colleges 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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