2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Massachusetts
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 2,165 degrees and certificates were awarded to communication and media studies students who went to a Massachusetts college or university. This makes it the #11 most popular major in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Massachusetts to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 24 schools in Massachusetts 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our analysis found Worcester State University to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in Massachusetts. Located in the midsize city of Worcester, Worcester State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Worcester State are $10,586 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Worcester State accumulate an average of around $22,250 in student debt.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Fitchburg State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the suburb of Fitchburg, Fitchburg State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fitchburg State are $10,655 per year. On average, communications graduates from Fitchburg State take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $109.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Westfield State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Westfield is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Westfield.
Westfield undergraduate students pay an average of $11,139 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Westfield carry an average student debtload of $26,950. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $172.
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The excellent programs at University of Massachusetts Amherst helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Massachusetts. UMass Amherst is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Amherst.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Amherst are $16,439 a year. Communications majors at UMass Amherst take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $276, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Bridgewater State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Bridgewater State is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Bridgewater.
Bridgewater State undergraduate students pay an average of $10,732 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Bridgewater State carry an average student debtload of $26,150. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $183, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network undergraduate students pay an average of $13,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network carry an average student debtload of $24,304. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $388.
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University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. UMass Boston is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Boston.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Boston are $14,677 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from UMass Boston carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Salem State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Salem State are $11,675 per year. Communications majors at Salem State take out an average of $26,196 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Lasell University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Lasell is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Newton.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lasell are $42,000 per year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Lasell carry an average student debtload of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $222, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Boston College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Boston College undergraduate students pay an average of $61,706 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Boston College accumulate an average of around $18,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $609.
In addition to its great value ranking, Boston College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Massachusetts list.
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Request InformationBest Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | 911 |
| New Hampshire | 287 |
| Maine | 124 |
| Rhode Island | 337 |
| Vermont | 60 |
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Majors Related to Communications
One of 5 majors within the area of study, communication and media studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related 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 24 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.
More about our data sources and methodologies.