[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong communication & media studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for communication & media studies students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
The University Of Montana tops our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools in Montana. Set in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,552, with out-of-state students paying around $33,671. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $20,328 in student loans. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $34,377. Set against $20,328 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
