[Communication & Media Studies](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 36 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for communication & media studies students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the communication & media studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in communication & media studies, no school beat Missouri Southern State University this year. Set in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,600, with out-of-state students paying around $18,300. Students borrow a median of $18,350 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Missouri Southern State University earn a median of $30,201 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Missouri Southern State University admits about 97% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Truman State University one of the best values for communication & media studies. Truman State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Kirksville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,838, while out-of-state students pay about $18,566. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $31,853. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Truman State University admits about 84% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Missouri Kansas City one of the best values for communication & media studies. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,371, compared with $32,271 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,982 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $38,786. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Missouri Kansas City admits about 72% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Missouri St Louis earned it the #4 place for communication & media studies. University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. In-state tuition and fees average $15,120, compared with $37,620 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $21,326. Communication & Media Studies graduates of University Of Missouri St Louis earn a median of $32,809 early in their careers. Set against $21,326 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Missouri St Louis admits about 63% of applicants.
Missouri Western State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Missouri Western State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Saint Joseph. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,545, while out-of-state students pay about $18,455. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $24,362 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Missouri Western State University generally make around $41,107. That is a strong return on a $24,362 median debt.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Set in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,611, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $26,000. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn a median of $34,195 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Central Missouri ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Set in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,050, while out-of-state students pay about $18,600. Students borrow a median of $22,312 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Communication & Media Studies graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $45,496 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,312 median debt. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Harris Stowe State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Harris Stowe State University is a small public school located in the city of Saint Louis. Students from in state pay about $7,008 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,640. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $32,394. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Harris Stowe State University earn a median of $31,173 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Missouri State University Springfield earned the #9 position for value in communication & media studies this year. Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public school located in the city of Springfield. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,502, 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. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Missouri Columbia earned the #10 position for value in communication & media studies this year. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $20,500. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $44,078. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Missouri Columbia admits about 78% of applicants.
Avila University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & media studies schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, Avila University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,200. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the communication & media studies program here. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Avila University earn a median of $33,905 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Avila University admits about 88% of applicants.
Lindenwood University landed the #12 spot for communication & media studies value this year. Located in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,600. 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. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Drury University came in at #13 for value in communication & media studies this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Drury University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $36,745 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $26,641. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $37,267. Set against $26,641 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis earned the #14 position for value in communication & media studies this year. Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. In-state tuition and fees average $27,166. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $24,499. Early-career communication & media studies graduates make about $67,909. Set against $24,499 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Webster University ranked #15 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. Students from in state pay about $31,750 in tuition and fees. Communication & Media Studies graduates carry a median of $30,500 in student loans. Communication & Media Studies graduates of Webster University earn a median of $55,445 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $30,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Saint Louis University Main Campus came in at #16 for value in communication & media studies this year. Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $55,760. Typical student debt for communication & media studies graduates is $24,343. Soon after graduation, communication & media studies degree recipients from Saint Louis University Main Campus generally make around $30,047. Set against $24,343 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 36 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
