2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains 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.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
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 Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 27 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to see which 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our analysis found Colorado State University - Global Campus to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Rocky Mountains Region . Located in the large city of Greenwood Village, Colorado State University - Global Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado State University - Global Campus are $8,400 per year. On average, communications graduates from Colorado State University - Global Campus take out $31,905 in student loans while working on their degree.
Colorado State University - Global Campus did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 15% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
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The excellent programs at Brigham Young University - Idaho helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Located in the distant town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at BYU - I take out is $14,750.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Utah Valley University is a great value for communication and media studies students. UVU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Orem.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UVU are $17,092 per year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from UVU carry an average student debtload of $15,373.
In addition to its great value ranking, UVU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Westminster College Utah. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the city of Salt Lake City, Westminster College Salt Lake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Westminster College Salt Lake undergraduate students pay an average of $38,680 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #6, Weber State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. WSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ogden.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WSU are $16,644 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at WSU accumulate an average of around $16,633 in student debt.
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University of Wyoming 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 is a fairly large public school located in the remote town of Laramie.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW are $16,957 per year. On average, communications graduates from UW take out $23,450 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Wyoming Report
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Colorado State University - Pueblo ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Pueblo, Colorado State University - Pueblo is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Colorado State University - Pueblo undergraduate students pay an average of $15,659 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Colorado State University - Pueblo carry an average student debtload of $22,250.
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University of Utah landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. U of U is a very large public school located in the city of Salt Lake City.
U of U undergraduate students pay an average of $28,345 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at U of U accumulate an average of around $19,500 in student debt.
U of U also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Utah Report
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University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. CU Anschutz is a very large public school located in the large city of Denver.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CU Anschutz are $26,376 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at CU Anschutz take out is $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $222.
CU Anschutz excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Report
Request InformationBest Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and media studies schools for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 1,277 |
| Utah | 1,149 |
| Idaho | 565 |
| Montana | 60 |
| Wyoming | 87 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in the Rocky Mountains Region
Communication & Media Studies Related Majors for Communications
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
More about our data sources and methodologies.