2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools
Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You
In 2020-2021, 120,571 people earned a degree or certificate in communication and journalism, making the major the #11 most popular 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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Communication & Journalism Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 753 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the United States
Check out the communication and journalism programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools in Communication & Journalism
Our analysis found Georgetown University to be the best school for communication and journalism students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a great place for communication and journalism students. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from Georgia Tech take out $30,725 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Clara University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Communication & Journalism majors at SCU take out an average of $18,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in the United States. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at UPenn accumulate an average of around $19,500 in student debt.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Johns Hopkins University is a great place for communication and journalism students. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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Wake Forest University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Wake Forest University take out is $20,911. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $840.
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Cornell University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Cornell take out is $15,500.
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University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. U-M is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.
Communication & Journalism majors at U-M take out an average of $19,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $435, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at UC Berkeley take out is $12,207. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $328, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Colorado State University - Global Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Colorado State University - Global Campus is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greenwood Village.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Colorado State University - Global Campus take out is $31,905.
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With a ranking of #11, Boston College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Boston College carry an average student debtload of $18,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $609, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Northwestern University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $16,622 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $842.
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College of Saint Benedict ranked #13 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from CSB take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Villanova University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from Villanova take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $854.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #15 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debtload of $22,625. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.
The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at UW - Madison take out is $22,375. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $432.
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Drake University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from Drake take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $353, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The University of Texas at Austin landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UT Austin carry an average student debtload of $21,171. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $287.
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University of Delaware ranked #19 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. UD is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Newark.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from UD take out $25,000 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 $801.
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With a ranking of #20, Lebanon Valley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. LVC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Annville.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at LVC accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #21 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. UCSB is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UCSB carry an average student debtload of $13,921. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $322, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Florida came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. UF is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville.
While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at UF accumulate an average of around $17,433 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $238.
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University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Mizzou is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Columbia.
Communication & Journalism majors at Mizzou take out an average of $21,271 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $479.
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University of Southern California ranked #24 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, communication and journalism graduates from USC take out $18,543 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $505.
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With a ranking of #25, Fairfield University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. Fairfield U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield.
After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Fairfield U carry an average student debtload of $26,411. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $602.
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Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Communication & Journalism Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 753 different United States communication and journalism schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Communication & Journalism students that almost earned our Best Communication & Journalism Schools award.
Communication & Journalism by Region
View the Best Communication & Journalism Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Communication & Journalism that might interest you.
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MA in Communication - New Media & Marketing
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Communication & Journalism Related Rankings by Major
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 21,099 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Journalism | 13,552 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Majors Similar to Communication & Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 Josh Hallett.
More about our data sources and methodologies.