Graduates of the best bachelor’s in media communication have access to careers that are constantly in demand and can pay upwards of three times the U.S. national average salary.
While traditional, print-based journalism may be in decline in this digital age, other occupations favored by media communication graduates are not. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the media and communication industry is still growing and is projected to do so for at least the next decade. What’s more, the median wage for all media and communication occupations was 150% higher than the U.S. average for all occupations.
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Last Updated: November 21, 2024
What are the Best Media Communication Degrees?
At CollegeRank, we strive to do our best to guide you and your family toward a fruitful academic career. The pursuit of knowledge is a noble one, and we want to help you reach your goals. For the program to be listed, they must possess the following features:
- Collaboration across multiple fields, from advertising and marketing to technology and design.
- Diverse and robust curriculum that covers the key areas of media communication, including digital media, public relations, journalism, broadcasting, media ethics, and communication theory.
- Internships, access to media labs, on-campus broadcasting stations, or real-world projects.
- Instructors who have worked in real-world media roles.
Please feel free to visit our dedicated methodology page for a step-by-step breakdown. For questions, comments, badge downloads, or data corrections, please feel free to reach out to us at editor@collegerank.net.
Louisiana State University
Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Louisiana State University (LSU) is the state’s flagship university. This status allows it to support students well; more than $300m in financial aid is awarded to students each year, and as such, two-thirds of students graduate without any student debt.
Under the Manship School at LSU, students can enroll in this BA in mass communication. You’ll be given a choice of five concentrations including:
- Digital Advertising
- Political communication
- PR
- Journalism
- Pre-Law
These are four-year programs, with the exception of pre-law, which is a 3+3 program, meaning your senior year will also be combined with your first year of law school.
Otherwise, the other concentrations provide a breadth of opportunities and paths toward specific careers. With the digital advertising track, you could become a social media manager or copywriter. Journalism would prepare you for work within the reporting and broadcasting industry, while political communication is suited to those with political aspirations.
Public relations will prepare you to support corporations with product launches, crises, and other high-stakes situations.
The estimated annual cost of attendance for Louisiana resident undergraduate students is around $26,650. For out-of-state students, the cost of attendance is around $43,327. This includes tuition of around $11,954 and $28,631 respectively. For further information on the cost of attendance, see the financial aid & scholarships page on the university’s website.
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State used to be known as the Farmer’s High School of Pennsylvania when it was first opened in 1855. It is a top-25 U.S. research university and has been ranked within the top 50 world-class universities by the Center for World University Rankings.
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