2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
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 large public school located in the medium-sized 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.
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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 medium-sized city of Knoxville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $13,244 per 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 did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list.
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Out of the 12 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Nashville.
Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,336 in in-state tuition and fees each 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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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Middle Tennessee State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 a 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.
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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 college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofM are $10,056 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at UofM accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the town of Martin, UT Martin is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
UT Martin undergraduate students pay an average of $9,912 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at UT Martin accumulate an average of around $22,963 in student debt.
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East Tennessee State University 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. Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ETSU are $9,438 per 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.
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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 moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Peay State University are $8,431 per 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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King University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. 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.
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Belmont University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large 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.
Belmont also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #3.
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Request InformationBest 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 |
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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 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.