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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

124 Colleges in the Southeast Region
10,799 Bachelor's Degrees
$33,116 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #5 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 124 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 10,799 bachelor's degrees in communication & media studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region The communications bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality communications program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & media studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communications Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Communication & Media Studies in the Southeast Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

24 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Communications

1
521 Annual Graduates
$43,348 Median Starting Salary
$35,260 Median Student Debt

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies needs to take a look at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a boost of about $10,232 over the average earnings of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
107 Annual Graduates
$44,283 Median Starting Salary
$26,766 Median Student Debt

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies needs to take a look at University of Georgia. Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies program at University of Georgia make $11,167 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Georgia

3
48 Annual Graduates
$48,637 Median Starting Salary
$60,115 Median Student Debt

Elon University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies major at Elon University get $15,521 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Elon University

4
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

It is hard to beat Wake Forest University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winston-Salem.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at Wake Forest University earn $8,939 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Wake Forest University

5
285 Annual Graduates
$34,530 Median Starting Salary
$15,227 Median Student Debt

USF Tampa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tampa.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the communications program report average early career earnings of $34,530.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of South Florida - Main Campus

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JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
413 Annual Graduates
$42,769 Median Starting Salary
$52,173 Median Student Debt

JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies program at James Madison University earn $9,653 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from James Madison University

7
313 Annual Graduates
$38,426 Median Starting Salary
$34,767 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University is a public university with a very large student population.

Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College make $5,310 more than the average communications graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

8
190 Annual Graduates
$39,311 Median Starting Salary
$48,271 Median Student Debt

UK is a very large public university located in the city of Lexington.

Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of Kentucky get an earnings boost of around $6,195 above the average income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Kentucky

9
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
225 Annual Graduates
$44,309 Median Starting Salary
$42,378 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from Virginia Tech get an earnings boost of around $11,193 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Virginia Tech

10

Tulane is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New Orleans.

After graduation, communications bachelor's recipients typically make about $33,428 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Tulane University of Louisiana

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11
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
93 Annual Graduates
$35,929 Median Starting Salary
$57,704 Median Student Debt

Auburn is a fairly large public university located in the city of Auburn.

Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from Auburn University receive an earnings boost of about $2,813 above the typical income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Auburn University

12
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
201 Annual Graduates
$40,095 Median Starting Salary
$26,064 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of Arkansas receive an earnings boost of around $6,979 over the typical income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Arkansas

13
294 Annual Graduates
$36,424 Median Starting Salary
$11,000 Median Student Debt

FIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Miami.

Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from Florida International University make $3,308 more than the typical communications grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Florida International University

14
121 Annual Graduates
$40,790 Median Starting Salary
$63,882 Median Student Debt

UA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Tuscaloosa.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at The University of Alabama earn $7,674 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from The University of Alabama

15
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
22 Annual Graduates

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Vanderbilt University

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16
191 Annual Graduates
$35,808 Median Starting Salary
$19,872 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population.

Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University earn $2,692 more than the typical communications graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Virginia Commonwealth University

17
282 Annual Graduates
$37,021 Median Starting Salary
$18,740 Median Student Debt

UCF is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Orlando.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at University of Central Florida get $3,905 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Central Florida

18
249 Annual Graduates
$37,813 Median Starting Salary
$20,906 Median Student Debt

ECU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Greenville.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies program at East Carolina University make $4,697 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from East Carolina University

19
130 Annual Graduates
$41,258 Median Starting Salary
$35,635 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville receive $8,142 more than the typical communications grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

20
197 Annual Graduates
$39,889 Median Starting Salary
$25,905 Median Student Debt

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at North Carolina State University earn $6,773 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from North Carolina State University

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21
236 Annual Graduates
$38,234 Median Starting Salary
$16,563 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn $5,118 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

22
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
196 Annual Graduates
$35,392 Median Starting Salary
$53,505 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from Liberty University receive $2,276 more than the standard communications student.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Liberty University

23
186 Annual Graduates
$30,559 Median Starting Salary
$19,782 Median Student Debt

UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Greensboro.

After graduation, communications bachelor's recipients generally make about $30,559 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

24
C of C crest
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC
153 Annual Graduates
$36,903 Median Starting Salary
$38,010 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Charleston, C of C is a public college with a large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at College of Charleston make $3,787 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from College of Charleston

Rest of the Top Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Communication & Media Studies students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
25 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
26 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
27 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
28 The University of Tampa Tampa, FL
29 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
30 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
31 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
32 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
33 Furman University Greenville, SC
34 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
35 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
36 Belmont University Nashville, TN
37 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
38 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
39 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
40 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
41 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
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Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication & media studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 225 2,598
Georgia 224 680
Tennessee 220 910
North Carolina 213 2,828
Virginia 213 1,844
South Carolina 195 768
Kentucky 187 716
Alabama 184 857
Louisiana 171 765
Mississippi 169 261
Arkansas 167 441
West Virginia 147 132
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One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Communication & Media Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Communications Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 6,219
Communication & Media Studies 2,712
Communications 1,421
Other Communication & Media Studies 447
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Majors Similar to Communications

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 3,787
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 2,799
Journalism 2,339
Communication & Journalism (Other) 178
Publishing 17

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Notes and References

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