Communication & Media Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #44 most popular master's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 210 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 4,407 master's degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of communication & media studies for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on communication & media studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of communication & media studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How much debt communication & media studies students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized communication & media studies related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for communication & media studies students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Featured Communication & Media Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
MA in Communication
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
Learn More
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication & media studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools for a Master's in Communications
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in communication & media studies has to take a look at University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at University of Southern California get $15,807 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from University of Southern California
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the communication & media studies major at Northwestern University make $20,429 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Northwestern University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a great decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in communication & media studies. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.
Master's recipients from the communication & media studies program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $47,791 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Columbia University in the City of New York
University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication & media studies. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Master's recipients from the communication & media studies major at Johns Hopkins University earn $26,538 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Johns Hopkins University
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