2023 Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 66,787 communication and media studies students received their degrees and certificates, 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. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,105 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Communication & Media Studies program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the communications bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 25 Most Popular Schools for a Bachelor's in Communication & Media Studies
Our analysis found California State University - Fullerton to be the most popular school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 66% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 34% are male.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Cal State Fullerton take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $15,848. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $167.
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great place for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 73% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 27% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from UNC Chapel Hill carry an average student debt load of $16,013. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $361.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Request Information
Out of the 1,105 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 565 students majoring in communications at Ohio State, 45% are male and 55% are female.
On average, communications graduates from Ohio State take out $23,263 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $286.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Arizona State University - Skysong is a great place for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a fairly large student population.
About 70% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 30% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from ASU - Skysong carry an average student debt load of $24,308. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $290.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong
Request Information
Out of the 1,105 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing.
Of the 506 students majoring in communications at Michigan State, 60% are male and 40% are female.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Michigan State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $26,210. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $444, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
Of the 488 students majoring in communications at Sac State, 43% are male and 57% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from Sac State carry an average student debt load of $18,200. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $136.
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 68% of the communications majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UCSB take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $14,455. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.
Request Information
Florida International University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. FIU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Miami.
Of the 462 students majoring in communications at FIU, 34% are male and 66% are female.
On average, communications graduates from FIU take out $21,385 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $59, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
With a ranking of #9, University of Central Florida did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UCF is a very large public school located in the suburb of Orlando.
Of the 442 students majoring in communications at UCF, 29% are male and 71% are female.
On average, communications graduates from UCF take out $21,505 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Central Florida Report
Request Information
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.
Women make up 54% of the communications majors at the school.
Communications majors at IU Bloomington take out an average of $20,772 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $534.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington Report
Request Information
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public school with a very large student population.
Women make up 62% of the communications majors at the school.
On average, communications graduates from ASU - Tempe take out $24,308 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $290.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe Report
Request Information
James Madison University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a very large student population.
About 68% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 32% are male.
Communications majors at JMU take out an average of $20,130 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's 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.
Request Information
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle.
Of the 404 students majoring in communications at UW Seattle, 33% are male and 67% are female.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW Seattle take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $17,356. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $224, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Request Information
With a ranking of #14, Boston University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Of the 397 students majoring in communications at Boston U, 19% are male and 81% are female.
Communications majors at Boston U take out an average of $22,182 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $839.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Boston University Report
Request Information
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of College Station.
Of the 387 students majoring in communications at Texas A&M College Station, 19% are male and 81% are female.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Texas A&M College Station take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $17,496. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $243.
Request Information
California State University - Long Beach came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 377 students majoring in communications at CSULB, 36% are male and 64% are female.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at CSULB take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $15,925.
Request Information
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a very large student population.
Women make up 56% of the communications majors at the school.
On average, communications graduates from USF Tampa take out $22,616 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Request Information
University at Buffalo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. University at Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo.
Women make up 60% of the communications majors at the school.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from University at Buffalo carry an average student debt load of $19,794. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $232, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
San Francisco State University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Of the 337 students majoring in communications at SFSU, 37% are male and 63% are female.
On average, communications graduates from SFSU take out $16,107 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $184, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
University of Utah came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. U of U is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City.
Of the 336 students majoring in communications at U of U, 36% are male and 64% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from U of U carry an average student debt load of $22,033.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Utah
Request Information
University of Southern California ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
About 75% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 25% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, communications majors at USC accumulate an average of around $17,336 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $516.
Request Information
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Northridge did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUN is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Northridge.
Of the 336 students majoring in communications at CSUN, 44% are male and 56% are female.
On average, communications graduates from CSUN take out $16,854 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Northridge
Request Information
University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public school with a very large student population.
Women make up 62% of the communications majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UMass Amherst take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $22,529. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $276, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. ECU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greenville.
Of the 317 students majoring in communications at ECU, 37% are male and 63% are female.
On average, communications graduates from ECU take out $22,625 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $298.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
About 64% of the students majoring in communications at the school are women while 36% are male.
The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UW - Madison take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,723. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $432.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 1105 different United States communication and media studies schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional popular schools for Communication & Media Studies students that almost earned our Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Communication & Media Studies by Region
View the Most Popular Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Communication & Media Studies Related Majors
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.