2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
With 66,787 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the #10 most popular major in the United States.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.
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 the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 64 schools in the Plains States 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.
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.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Drake University the best value school in the Plains States Region for communication and media studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Drake are $45,912 a year.
Drake excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Bellevue University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Bellevue University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,310 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Bellevue University take out is $26,083.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bellevue University also is in the top 10% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Bellevue University Report
Out of the 64 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wayne State College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Wayne, WSC is a public school with a small student population.
WSC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,458 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at WSC take out an average of $23,407 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wayne State College
Out of the 64 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Metro State is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Saint Paul.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Metro State are $9,394 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Metro State accumulate an average of around $34,724 in student debt.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Metropolitan State University
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
South Dakota 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 #6 on the list. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Brookings.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year. On average, communications graduates from South Dakota State take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, South Dakota State also did well on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Communication & Media Studies at South Dakota State University Report
University of South Dakota 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 town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USD are $12,942 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at USD take out is $24,250. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $175, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of South Dakota
Bemidji State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bemidji State University are $9,806 a year.
Bemidji State University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Winona 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 #9 on the list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Winona State accumulate an average of around $25,415 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $158, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 15% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Winona State University
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Minnesota State Mankato is a large public school located in the small city of Mankato.
Minnesota State Mankato undergraduate students pay an average of $18,200 in tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at Minnesota State Mankato take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $150, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Truman State University | Kirksville, MO |
| 12 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and media studies schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 1,007 |
| Minnesota | 887 |
| Kansas | 490 |
| Iowa | 552 |
| Nebraska | 156 |
| North Dakota | 131 |
| South Dakota | 159 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in the Plains States Region
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 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.
,_Helsinki_Finland_(11643271925).jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.