2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 2,064 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
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 Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Virginia 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named James Madison University the best value school in Virginia for communication and media studies students. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.
JMU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,638 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, communications graduates from JMU take out $21,500 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 $440.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, JMU also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia Tech are $14,174 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Virginia Tech carry an average student debtload of $21,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $444, 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, Virginia Tech is ranked #3 for overall quality for communications in Virginia.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Radford University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Radford is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Radford.
Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $11,542 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Radford accumulate an average of around $23,554 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $241.
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Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Christopher Newport University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $24,701 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $382.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CNU also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent programs at Liberty University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Virginia. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Liberty University are $16,160 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Liberty University take out is $25,625. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $529.
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Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at VCU are $15,028 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from VCU carry an average student debtload of $24,218. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.
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Virginia State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the suburb of Petersburg, Virginia State is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia State are $9,154 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Virginia State accumulate an average of around $29,125 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $235, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Marymount undergraduate students pay an average of $35,250 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Randolph - Macon College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Ashland, Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Randolph - Macon undergraduate students pay an average of $45,150 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Randolph - Macon take out is $25,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $629.
Randolph - Macon also took the #4 spot in our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia rankings.
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Regent University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.
Regent undergraduate students pay an average of $18,820 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Regent carry an average student debtload of $24,338. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $239.
Request InformationBest Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 795 |
| North Carolina | 2,972 |
| Florida | 3,020 |
| Tennessee | 1,000 |
| 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.
Majors Similar 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 14 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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