[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/communication-and-media-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for communication & media studies students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communication & media studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of Missouri St Louis earned the #1 spot for value among communication & media studies schools in Missouri. University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,120, with out-of-state students paying around $37,620. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $21,326. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $32,809. Set against $21,326 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
Missouri State University Springfield is a great value for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,502 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $38,584. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Lindenwood University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,600 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,500 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $50,346. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Maryville University Of Saint Louis earned it the #4 place for communication & media studies. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,166. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $24,499 in student loans. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $67,909. That is a strong return on a $24,499 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Webster University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,750. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $30,500 in student loans. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $55,445. Set against $30,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
