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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

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2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

59 Colleges
$17,388 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$33,822 Avg Salary

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. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 59 schools in the Southwest Region 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.

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.

2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

Check out the communications programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

$7,540 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Central New Mexico Community College the best value school in the Southwest Region for communication and media studies students. CNM is a large public school located in the city of Albuquerque.

CNM undergraduate students pay an average of $7,540 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at CNM take out an average of $6,430 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Central New Mexico Community College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list. UOPX - Arizona is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Tempe.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UOPX - Arizona are $9,552 per year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from UOPX - Arizona carry an average student debtload of $44,875.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UOPX - Arizona also is in the top 10% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking.

Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Phoenix - Arizona Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Arizona State University - Skysong is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from ASU - Skysong carry an average student debtload of $22,750. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $290, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

ASU - Skysong also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

The excellent programs at Austin Community College District helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in the Southwest Region . Austin Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Community College District are $10,590 per year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Austin Community College District is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Austin Community College District Report

$11,208 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means West Texas A&M University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the fringe town of Canyon, West Texas A&M University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 a year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at West Texas A&M University

#6

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

Grand Canyon University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand Canyon University are $17,189 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Grand Canyon University take out is $26,492. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $148.

Read More…

$15,870 Average Tuition & Fees

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Durant.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeastern Oklahoma State University are $15,870 per year.

Read More…

With a ranking of #8, Sam Houston State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the distant town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

SHSU undergraduate students pay an average of $18,752 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at SHSU take out an average of $25,750 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $179.

SHSU 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 Southwest Region list.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Sam Houston State University

$15,755 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeastern State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. NSU is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Tahlequah.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NSU are $15,755 per year.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Northeastern State University Report

#10

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, TX
$11,726 Average Tuition & Fees

MSU Texas landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Wichita Falls, MSU Texas is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU Texas are $11,726 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at MSU Texas take out is $31,000.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at MSU Texas

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication and media studies schools for a specific state in the Southwest region.

State Degrees Awarded
Texas 4,091
Arizona 2,246
Oklahoma 325
New Mexico 129

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

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.

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