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Best Communication & Journalism Schools

2023 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

753 Colleges
$34,266 Avg Salary
$24,758 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

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 college with a very large student population.

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Out of the 753 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the 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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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college 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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#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Communication & Journalism Schools list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large 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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#5

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

The excellent programs at Johns Hopkins University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in the United States. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#6

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Wake Forest University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. 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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#7

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. Cornell is a very 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 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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University of California - Berkeley landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize 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 came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Colorado State University - Global Campus is a large public school located in the large 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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#11

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school 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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#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small 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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#13

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

College of Saint Benedict did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the midsize 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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#14

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. 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 did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public school 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 did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #16 on the list. 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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#17

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

With a ranking of #17, Drake University did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the 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 fairly large public school located in the 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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#19

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

University of Delaware did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #19 on the 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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#20

Lebanon Valley College

Annville, PA

Lebanon Valley College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best communication and journalism programs. 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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With a ranking of #21, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. UCSB is a very large public school located in the 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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#22

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

With a ranking of #22, University of Florida did quite well on this year’s best schools for communication and journalism students. 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 medium-sized 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 came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very 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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#25

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT

Fairfield University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Communication & Journalism Schools ranking. Fairfield U is a moderately-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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Rest of the Top 50 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

#26

Elon University

Elon, NC
#28

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN
#31

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#32

Ohio Media School-Valley View

Valley View, OH
#34

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN
#35

George Washington University

Washington, DC
#36

Denison University

Granville, OH
#37

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH
#38

Samford University

Birmingham, AL
#39

Colorado Media School

Lakewood, CO
#41

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS
#43

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI
#44

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, WI
#45

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
#50

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges 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.

Rank College Location
51 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
52 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
53 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
54 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
55 University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL
56 Furman University Greenville, SC
57 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM
58 Stanford University Stanford, CA
59 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
60 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
61 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
62 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
63 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA
64 American University Washington, DC
65 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
66 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
67 Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus Chicago, IL
68 Illinois Media School Lombard, IL
69 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
70 New York University New York, NY
71 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
72 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
73 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
74 Iowa State University Ames, IA
75 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
76 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
77 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
78 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
79 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
80 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
81 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
82 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
83 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
84 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
85 Franklin University Columbus, OH
86 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
87 Northwood University Midland, MI
88 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
89 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
90 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
91 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
92 Seattle University Seattle, WA
93 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
94 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
95 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
96 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
97 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
98 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
99 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
100 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
101 University of Mississippi University, MS
102 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
103 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
104 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
105 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
106 University of Georgia Athens, GA
107 Northeastern University Boston, MA
108 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
109 Hanover College Hanover, IN
110 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
111 University of Denver Denver, CO
112 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Communication & Journalism students that almost earned our Best Communication & Journalism Schools award.

Rank College Location
113 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
114 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
115 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
116 Hope College Holland, MI
117 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
118 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
119 Boston University Boston, MA
120 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
121 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
122 Simpson College Indianola, IA
123 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
124 Winona State University Winona, MN
125 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
126 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
127 Siena Heights University Adrian, MI
128 University of Scranton Scranton, PA
129 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
130 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
131 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
132 Creighton University Omaha, NE
133 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
134 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
135 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
136 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
137 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA
138 Roanoke College Salem, VA
139 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
140 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
141 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
142 Baylor University Waco, TX
143 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
144 Illinois State University Normal, IL
145 Bradley University Peoria, IL
146 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
147 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
148 Belmont University Nashville, TN
149 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
150 St. Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure, NY

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

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.

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