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Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

13 Colleges
$16,261 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$29,526 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You

Communication & Journalism is the #13 most popular major in Tennessee with 1,671 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best value programs for communication and journalism 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. 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.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Colleges.

Top 10 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga the best value school in Tennessee for communication and journalism students. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a fairly large student population.

UT Chattanooga undergraduate students pay an average of $9,848 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UT Chattanooga carry an average student debtload of $24,136. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $172, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Communication & Journalism at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 13 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $13,244 per year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at UT Knoxville accumulate an average of around $20,483 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $432, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

UT Knoxville did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee list.

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#3

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in Tennessee. Located in the large city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,336 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at Tennessee State University accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $282, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Tennessee State University

$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Middle Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,232 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Middle Tennessee State University take out is $24,761. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $132, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$9,802 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Tennessee Technological University is a great value for communication and journalism students. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tennessee Tech University are $9,802 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Tennessee Tech University take out is $19,375.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tennessee Tech University also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee ranking.

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#6

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, University of Memphis did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Memphis.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UofM are $10,056 per year. Communication & Journalism majors at UofM take out an average of $26,042 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Memphis

$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #7 on the list. ETSU is a large public school located in the small city of Johnson City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ETSU are $9,438 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at ETSU take out is $23,100. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $210, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at East Tennessee State University

$9,912 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #8 on the list. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Martin.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Martin are $9,912 per year. Communication & Journalism majors at UT Martin take out an average of $22,963 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#9

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Austin Peay State University are $8,431 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Austin Peay State University take out is $25,780. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $162.

Full Communication & Journalism at Austin Peay State University Report

#10

King University

Bristol, TN
$32,838 Average Tuition & Fees

King University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at King are $32,838 a year.

Full Communication & Journalism at King University Report

Best Value Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 3,754
West Virginia 547
Florida 6,024
Virginia 2,555
Arkansas 946
Mississippi 878
South Carolina 1,359
Louisiana 1,031
Alabama 1,832
Kentucky 1,560
Georgia 3,112

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 13 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 Josh Hallett.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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