2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
Communication & Media Studies is the #11 most popular major in Colorado with 1,277 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado ranking. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in Colorado 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 Colorado. Located in the city of Greenwood Village, Colorado State University - Global Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado State University - Global Campus are $8,400 per year. Communications majors at Colorado State University - Global Campus take out an average of $31,905 in student loans while working on their egree.
Colorado State University - Global Campus also took the #2 spot in our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado rankings.
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Out of the 12 schools in Colorado that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. CU Anschutz is a very large public school located in the large city of Denver.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CU Anschutz are $9,384 a year. On average, communications graduates from CU Anschutz take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $222.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CU Anschutz also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado ranking.
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Out of the 12 schools in Colorado that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the # 3 spot on the list. CU - Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CU - Boulder are $12,610 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at CU - Boulder accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $516.
CU - Boulder did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado list.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Colorado Boulder Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado list. Located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins, Colorado State is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado State are $12,188 per year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Colorado State carry an average student debtload of $22,339. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $359.
Colorado State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Colorado. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Colorado list. Located in the medium-sized city of Greeley, University of Northern Colorado is a public school with a large student population.
University of Northern Colorado undergraduate students pay an average of $10,666 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at University of Northern Colorado take out an average of $22,190 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $248, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Northern Colorado Report
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Colorado State University - Pueblo landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University - Pueblo is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Colorado State University - Pueblo undergraduate students pay an average of $9,005 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Colorado State University - Pueblo take out is $22,250.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Colorado State University - Pueblo
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University of Colorado at Colorado Springs landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the large city of Colorado Springs, UCCS is a public school with a large student population.
UCCS undergraduate students pay an average of $10,994 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UCCS take out is $21,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Report
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With a ranking of #8, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the small city of Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado Mesa are $9,000 per year. Communications majors at Colorado Mesa take out an average of $20,811 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Colorado Mesa University Report
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Western Colorado University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Western is a small public school located in the remote town of Gunnison.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western are $10,662 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Western take out is $24,976.
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University of Denver landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. DU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Denver.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DU are $54,819 a year. On average, communications graduates from DU take out $24,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request InformationBest Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Utah | 1,149 |
| Idaho | 565 |
| Montana | 60 |
| Wyoming | 87 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in Colorado
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 12 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.