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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

12 Colleges
$16,799 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$29,183 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You

With 1,000 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the #14 most popular major in Tennessee.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 12 schools in Tennessee 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.

2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Chattanooga.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Chattanooga are $9,848 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UT Chattanooga take out is $24,136. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $172, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list. UT Knoxville is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Knoxville are $13,244 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UT Knoxville take out is $19,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $471.

UT Knoxville also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #4.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#3

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Tennessee State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Nashville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tennessee State University are $8,336 per year. Communications majors at Tennessee State University take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $282, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Middle Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 per year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Middle Tennessee State University accumulate an average of around $26,022 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $118.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Middle Tennessee State University

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Memphis helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Tennessee. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a very large student population.

UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $10,056 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at UofM accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

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$9,912 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the remote town of Martin, UT Martin is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Martin are $9,912 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at UT Martin accumulate an average of around $22,963 in student debt.

Full Communication & Media Studies at The University of Tennessee - Martin Report

$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ETSU are $9,438 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at ETSU take out is $23,100. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $210, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at East Tennessee State University

#8

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Clarksville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Austin Peay State University are $8,431 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Austin Peay State University accumulate an average of around $25,780 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $162.

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#9

King University

Bristol, TN
$32,838 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, King University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. King is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Bristol.

King undergraduate students pay an average of $32,838 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at King University

#10

Belmont University

Nashville, TN
$38,430 Average Tuition & Fees

Belmont University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list. Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Belmont are $38,430 per year. Communications majors at Belmont take out an average of $22,750 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $811, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Belmont is ranked #3 for overall quality for communications in Tennessee.

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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 795
Virginia 2,064
North Carolina 2,972
Florida 3,020
Kentucky 787
South Carolina 796
Louisiana 815
Arkansas 457
Alabama 968
Mississippi 307
West Virginia 214

One of 5 majors within the area of study, communication and media studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

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