by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 718 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:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full 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.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in communication & media studies.
Baylor University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Baylor University
It's difficult to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you want to pursue a master's degree in communication & media studies. UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from The University of Texas at Austin
Texas Tech University is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the large city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public university with a very large student population.
After graduation, communications master's recipients typically make about $47,431 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Texas Tech University
It is hard to beat Arizona State University - Tempe if you want to pursue a master's degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those communication & media studies students who get their master's degree from Arizona State University - Tempe make $6,820 more than the standard communications student.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Arizona State University - Tempe
UH is a very large public university located in the city of Houston.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from University of Houston
ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public university located in the city of Scottsdale.
Master's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at Arizona State University - Skysong get $6,820 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 Arizona State University - Skysong
NAU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Flagstaff.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Northern Arizona University
Texas State is a very large public university located in the small city of San Marcos.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the communications program earn an average of $49,614 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Texas State University
Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the large city of Phoenix.
Students who graduate with their master's from the communications program state that they receive average early career wages of $48,139.
More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Grand Canyon University
Located in the town of Stillwater, OSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & media studies from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Explore the best communication & media studies colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 235 | 275 |
| Arizona | 180 | 315 |
| Oklahoma | 153 | 27 |
| New Mexico | 114 | 24 |
One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Communication & Media Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Speech Communication | 287 |
| Communications | 245 |
| Communication & Media Studies | 186 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 246 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 191 |
| Journalism | 186 |
| Publishing | 12 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 4 |
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