Top 30 American Universities for Communications
See below for detailed description of each university
| Ranking | University | Region | Annual Tuition | GPA | SAT/ACT |
| 1 | University of California – Berkeley | W | $40,167 | 3.86 | SAT: 1440 |
| 2 | University of Texas – Austin | SE | $52,422 | 3.71 | SAT: 1330 |
| 3 | Columbia University | NE | $51,008 | 4.13 | SAT: 1520 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | MW | $47,544 | 3.81 | SAT: 1350 |
| 5 | University of Southern California | W | $49,464 | 3.73 | SAT: 1450 |
| 6 | Michigan State University | MW | $24,706 | 3.62 | SAT: 1190 |
| 7 | Stanford University | W | $45,729 | 4.18 | SAT: 1520 |
| 8 | University of California – Los Angeles | W | $40,182 | 4.29 | SAT: 1370 |
| 9 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | NE | $45,016 | 4.13 | SAT: 1520 |
| 10 | New York University | NE | $42,419 | 3.71 | SAT: 1410 |
| 11 | University of Illinois – Urbana | MW | $31,320 | 3.83 | SAT: 1390 |
| 12 | University of Missouri – Columbia | MW | $14,612 | 3.55 | SAT: 1220 |
| 13 | University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | MW | $45,410 | 3.82 | SAT: 1430 |
| 14 | Yale University | NE | $45,800 | 4.19 | SAT: 1540 |
| 15 | University of Pennsylvania | NE | $47,544 | 3.81 | SAT: 1350 |
| 16 | University of Florida | SE | $28,591 | 3.73 | SAT: 1340 |
| 17 | Northwestern University | MW | $50,424 | 4.07 | SAT: 1500 |
| 18 | Ohio State University | NE | $29,229 | 3.7 | SAT: 1320 |
| 19 | Indiana University – Bloomington | MW | $34,246 | 3.62 | SAT: 1250 |
| 20 | University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | SE | $33,648 | 4.56 | SAT: 1370 |
| 21 | Cornell University | NE | $50,953 | 4.01 | SAT: 1480 |
| 22 | University of Minnesota – Twin Cities | MW | $23,806 | 3.77 | SAT: 1360 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University | NE | $31,346 | 3.57 | SAT: 1260 |
| 24 | City College of New York | NE | $13,199 | 3.32 | SAT: 1100 |
| 25 | Brown University | NE | $48,272 | 4.05 | SAT: 1490 |
| 26 | Carnegie Mellon | NE | $51,196 | 3.72 | SAT: 1470 |
| 27 | Purdue University | MW | $28,804 | 3.7 | SAT: 1270 |
| 28 | Texas A&M University | SW | $47,386 | 3.55 | SAT: 1240 |
| 29 | University of Georgia | SE | $29,844 | 3.86 | SAT: 1320 |
| 30 | University of California – Irvine | W | $11,220 | 3.92 | SAT: 1240 |
1.) University of California – Berkeley
Founded in 1868 as the flagship campus of the University of California, UC Berkeley is one of most prestigious public universities in the country. The university is located in Berkeley, California, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The university’s proximity to the tech hub of Silicon Valley has allowed it to become one of the premier universities for computer science and engineering studies.
Today the university has an undergraduate enrollment of 28,000 and offers a student-faculty ratio of 17:1. 60% of the courses at Berkeley have fewer than twenty students, and the university has over 1,000 student organizations for the students to participate in outside of the classroom.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $13,509 | $16,042 | $29,551 |
| Out-of-state | $40,176 | $16,042 | $56,218 |
2.) University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a public school in Austin, Texas. The university is the largest school in Texas and the 7th largest in the country, with over 50,000 students enrolled. The university has over 900 student clubs and two of the largest student publications in the country. In addition to on campus activities students are also able to enjoy cultural and academic opportunities in the surrounding city of Austin.
Austin is divided into 18 different schools, including its highly ranked business, education, and engineering schools. The student-faculty ratio at Austin is 18:1, and 25% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Alumni of Austin include 15 former US congressman, two former first ladies, and the founder of Dell computers.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $9,806 | $ 11,456 | $20,770 |
| Out-of-state | $34,676 | $11,456 | $46,132 |
3.) Columbia University
Located in New York City Columbia University is the 5th oldest school in the United States. Columbia is the leading school in New York City, and its location there allows the students the unique opportunities of working on Wall Street, Broadway, and with the UN.
The university has an admissions rate of just 6% and an endowment of over nine billion dollars. Undergraduate classes at Columbia typically allow fewer than 20 students enroll, and upper level courses usually allow fewer than 10.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $51,008 | $7,928 | $58,936 |
| Out-of-state | $51,008 | $7,928 | $58,936 |
4.) University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public university in Madison, Wisconsin. The university was founded in 1848 and has an undergraduate enrollment of 30,000 students. Today the university offers over 125 undergraduate majors, 25 collegiate sports, and 800 student organizations.
Wisconsin is consistently rated in the top-10 for public schools in the country, and has exceptional undergraduate programs for business and engineering. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and 45% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Some of the most popular majors include economics, biology, and political science.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,488 | $8,804 | $19,292 |
| Out-of-state | $32,738 | $8,804 | $42,542 |
5.) University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private university located in Los Angeles, California. The university has 18,000 undergraduate students and a strong tradition of innovation among its alumni. Former students have gone on to start a variety of tech companies, and the school has produced the fourth largest number of billionaire alumni in the world.
Students at USC can participate in over 700 on-campus organizations and the school’s athletes have won over 300 Olympic medals, the most of any American university. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 and its average class has just 23 students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $49,464 | $14,348 | $63,812 |
| Out-of-state | $49,464 | $14,348 | $63,812 |
6.) Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public university located in East Lansing, Michigan, a few miles east of Michigan’s state capital. Today the school has an undergraduate enrollment of 40,000 students and is the 9th largest university in the United States.
MSU students have the options of participating in over 600 different student clubs or to study abroad with one of the school’s 260 different study abroad programs. The school has top ranked programs in business, education, and engineering, and has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $14,070 | $9,734 | $24,710 |
| Out-of-state | $45,410 | $9,734 | $55,144 |
7.) Stanford University
Located just south of San Francisco in Silicon Valley; Stanford has a reputation of one of the top tech schools in the US. Alumni of Stanford have gone on to start tech companies such as Google, Snapchat, and Netflix.
The university has over 15,000 students, 20% of whom are international and is one of the most selective universities in the United States, with an admission rate of just 5%. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 3:1 and over 70% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. Some of the most popular majors at Stanford include engineering, computer science, and mathematics.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,729 | $13,730 | $59,459 |
| Out-of-state | $45,729 | $13,730 | $59,459 |
8.) University of California – Los Angeles
UCLA is a public university located in Los Angeles, California, just five miles from the Pacific Ocean. The school has an undergraduate enrollment of 30,000 and is considered to be a one of the Public Ivy schools. The university is consistently ranked as one of the top public schools in the country, and has produced 14 Noble prize winners and over 250 Olympic medalists.
The university has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and 50% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The most popular majors at UCLA are psychology, biomedical sciences, and social sciences.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $12,836 | $15,069 | $27,905 |
| Out-of-state | $40,182 | $15,069 | $55,251 |
9.) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT is a private research university located in historic Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston, MA. Since its founding in 1861 the school has become one of the most selective universities in the country, accepting just 8% of all applicants.
Today the school is most well-known for its top-ranked engineering and computer science programs. 33% of the university’s students are international, and they come from over 150 different countries. Some famous alumni of the university include Buzz Aldrin, Kofi Annan, Ben Bernanke and Richard Feynman.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,016 | $13,730 | $58,746 |
| Out-of-state | $45,016 | $13,730 | $58,746 |
10.) New York University
New York University is a private university based in New York City. the school was founded in 1831 and is considered one of the most influential research universities in the world. The university’s campus is located in six centers around NYC, and the largest center is in Lower Manhattan.
The school has over 50,000 students from more than 180 foreign countries. The university is ranked in the top-40 nationally, and has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1. The school is especially well-known for its film, writing, and business programs.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $42,419 | $17,578 | $59,997 |
| Out-of-state | $42,419 | $17,578 | $59,997 |
11.) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public university and flagship school of the Illinois system. The school has an urban campus spread across the cities of Urbana and Champaign. Today it has more than 30,000 undergraduate students and is ranked as one of the top 50 universities in the world.
The university offers more than 150 undergraduate programs but its most successful program is engineering, where it is ranked in the top 5 globally. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1 and 40% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $15,698 | $11,308 | $21,338 |
| Out-of-state | $46,668 | $ 11,308 | $57,976 |
12.) University of Missouri – Columbia
The University of Missouri, Columbia is a public university in Columbia, Missouri. The university was founded in 1839 and has an undergraduate enrollment of 26,000 students. The university offers over 300 different degree programs, with highly ranked programs in business and the humanities.
Students at the university can enjoy all the amenities of the city of Columbus, as well as the school’s beautiful campus, which has its own botanical garden. The school has more than 600 student clubs and has countless annual festivals. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 20:1 and 40% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $9,518 | $10,298 | $19,816 |
| Out-of-state | $25,892 | $10,298 | $36,190 |
13.) University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan is a public university that was founded in 1817. It is has developed a strong reputation for its strong business and engineering schools, as well as for its athletic programs that provide on campus entertainment options for students.
Located 35 miles west of Detroit, Ann Arbor allows students to enjoy all of the benefits of the large city while still being able to live in a quieter town. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, and 57% of its classes have fewer than 20 students. The university spends more than $1 billion a year on a research, allowing students from all programs to collaborate on these initiatives.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $13,856 | $10,554 | $24,410 |
| Out-of-state | $43,476 | $10,554 | $44,132 |
14.) Yale University
Located in Connecticut, Yale University has a prestigious history that stretches back over 300 years. The university is dominant in a wide variety of subjects, and has an alumni network that spreads around the world, including three of the last four US presidents.
The university offers small class sizes and lots of individual attention. 75% of courses enroll fewer than twenty students, and 30% of them enroll fewer than ten.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $45,800 | $18,170 | $63,970 |
| Out-of-state | $45,800 | $18,170 | $63,970 |
15.) University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania, or U Penn, is a private Ivy League university located in Philadelphia. The school was founded in 1757 by Benjamin Franklin, making it the 6th oldest universities in the United States. The University is located on a large urban campus, separated from downtown Philadelphia but still close enough to allow easy access to the city’s amenities.
U Penn has a student-faculty ratio of 6:1 and 70% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The university’s business school is the oldest business school in the US, and its alumni include business titans such as Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $47,668 | $13,990 | $61,658 |
| Out-of-state | $47,668 | $13,990 | $61,658 |
16.) University of Florida
The University of Florida is a public university in the city of Gainesville, Florida. The school is ranked 14th in the nation for best public schools and has undergraduate enrollment of 39,000 student. The school is located close to downtown Gainesville, and students are able to travel around the city for dining and entertainment.
The university has well-regarded business, law, and engineering programs and a student-faculty ratio of 21:1. 50% of classes at Florida have fewer than twenty students, and the most popular majors include business, marketing, and the social sciences
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $6,389 | $9,910 | $16,299 |
| Out-of-state | $28,591 | $9,910 | $38,501 |
17.) Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois. The school was founded in 1851 to serve the Northwest Territory and has grown into one of the country’s top schools. Today the school enrolls 21,000 undergraduate students and has the 8th largest university endowment in the United States.
Northwestern University has a very low student-faculty ratio of 7:1, and 77% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The school has a high freshman retention rate, with 97% of Northwestern students continuing there after their first year.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $50,424 | $15,489 | $65,913 |
| Out-of-state | $50,424 | $15,489 | $65,913 |
18.) Ohio State University
Ohio State is a public university located in Columbus, Ohio. The university has 45,000 undergraduate students and an extensive student life program, with over 1,000 student organizations and a popular athletic program. In addition to on campus activities, students at Ohio State benefit from living in the city of Columbus, which is the 15th largest city in the US and is home to a variety of entertainment and professional opportunities.
Ohio State has a student-faculty ratio of 19:1 and 30% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The school is ranked in the top twenty national for top public universities, business, and for biological engineering.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,037 | $11,666 | $21,703 |
| Out-of-state | $29,229 | $11,666 | $40,895 |
19.) Indiana University – Bloomington
Indiana University is a public university located in Bloomington, Indiana. The university has over 48,000 students and is the flagship institution of the Indiana system. The school is popular with international students with students from over 165 countries enrolling in the university.
The university has programs ranked in the top ten nationally for business, accounting, and marketing. Students at Indiana are able to participate in a wide variety of student activities, in addition to cheering on their consistently successful sports teams. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and one third of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,388 | $10,040 | $20,428 |
| Out-of-state | $34,246 | $10,040 | $44,286 |
20.) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or UNC, is a public university that was founded in 1789, making it the oldest public university in the country. The university offers degrees in over 70 different areas of study and has an undergraduate enrollment of 29,000 students. The school is a located in the downtown area of Chapel Hill, where students can enjoy a wide range of activities.
UNC is ranked in the top 30 for nationally universities and in the top 15 for best value schools. The university offers over 500 student clubs and programs, and has a student-faculty ratio of 14:1. The school has a long running athletic rivalry with nearby Duke University, and the two schools frequently conduct research together and share facilities.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $8,834 | $11,218 | $20,052 |
| Out-of-state | $33,648 | $11,218 | $44,866 |
21.) Cornell University
Cornell University is a private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. The school offers over 100 different majors and has 14,000 undergraduate students. Today the diverse student body includes students from over 120 countries and all 50 American states.
Cornell has top ranked programs in several fields of study, and both their engineering and business programs are in the top 10 nationally. The school has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1, and 55% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $50,953 | $13,950 | $64,903 |
| Out-of-state | $50,953 | $13,950 | $64,903 |
22.) University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
The University of Minnesota at Twin Cities is a public university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The school is the flagship school of the Minnesota system, and is the largest school in the state, with over 28,000 undergraduate students.
The university is considered to be one of the top public schools in the country, with top-ranked programs in engineering, economics, and psychology. In addition to academics they have a strong athletics program and regularly win national championships in football and hockey. The school has a student faculty ratio of 17:1 and 35% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $13,790 | $9,314 | $23,104 |
| Out-of-state | $23,806 | $9,314 | $33,120 |
23.) Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, is a public research university located in University Park, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1855 and has an undergraduate enrollment of 46,000. The university has a very active campus, with over 950 clubs and organizations ad opportunities for skiing and hiking in the nearby mountains.
The university has top ranked programs in education and engineering, and is ranked 14th in the country for top public universities. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1, and 40% of classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $17,900 | $11,860 | $29,760 |
| Out-of-state | $31,346 | $11,860 | $43,206 |
24.) City College of New York
The City College of New York is a public university in New York City. The school’s campus is in Harlem, Manhattan, covering more than ten blocks. The university was founded in 1847 and has undergraduate enrollment of 13,000 students.
The university offers a wide-range of academic programs, and students can participate in all the cultural and academic that New York has to offer. The university has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, and 35% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $6,689 | N/A | $6,689 |
| Out-of-state | $13,199 | N/A | $13,199 |
25.) Brown University
Brown University is a private Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded in 1764, and is the 7th oldest university in the United States. The university has a long history of excellence, and has produced eight Noble Prize laureates along with Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners, and several US Secretaries of State.
Brown University is ranked fourth in the country for best undergraduate teaching and has a student-faculty ratio of 7:1. 70% of the classes at brown have fewer than twenty students, and the school has a freshman retention rate of 98%.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $48,272 | $13,200 | $61,472 |
| Out-of-state | $48,272 | $13,200 | $61,472 |
26.) Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University is a private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1900, and has grown into one of the top universities in the country. Today the university has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,300 and has top ranked programs in computer science, engineering, and drama.
The university has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1 and 65% of its classes have fewer than twenty students. The most popular majors at Carnegie Mellon are engineering, business, and computer science.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $51,196 | $13,270 | $64,466 |
| Out-of-state | $51,196 | $13,270 | $64,466 |
27.) Purdue University
Purdue University is a public university in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school was founded in 1869 after donations from a local businessman, and today the university offers over 200 majors and enrolls 29,000 undergraduate students. The university is ranked as the 20th best public university in the US and is the 4th most popular destination for foreign students studying in the US.
Purdue offers students a wide range of campus activities ranging from music performance groups to the school’s popular sports program. The school is ranked top-10 in the nation for its mechanical, civil, and aerospace engineering programs, and is also ranked 9th on the list for most innovative. The school’s student-faculty ratio is 12:1, which is one of the lowest ratios for all public universities in the country.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,002 | $10,030 | $20,032 |
| Out-of-state | $28,804 | $10,030 | $38,834 |
28.) Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a public research university located in College Station, Texas. The school consistently ranks among the top public universities in the country, and with 50,000 undergraduate students it is the 4th largest school in the country.
The school has nationally ranked programs in engineering and business, and has one of the largest research endowments in the country. The student-faculty ratio is 20:1 and 20% of all classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $10,176 | $10,338 | $20,514 |
| Out-of-state | $28,768 | $10,338 | $39,106 |
29.) University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public university that was founded in 1785. The university is located in the college town of Athens, Georgia, about an hour from Atlanta. The school is ranked in the top twenty for public universities and is the oldest US public university.
The school has more than 600 student clubs and has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1. 40% of the classes at Georgia have fewer than twenty students and the freshman retention rate is 94%.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $11,634 | $9,616 | $21,250 |
| Out-of-state | $29,844 | $9,616 | $39,460 |
30.) University of California – Irvine
The University of California, Irvine, is a public university located in Irvine, California, a city just south of Los Angeles. The school was establish in 1965 and has quickly become one of the top public universities in the country. The school has an undergraduate enrollment of 25,000 students and offers over 80 different degree options.
Students at the university can choose to participate in over 500 different student organizations, and the sunny campus is just five miles from the ocean. The school is known for its business and engineering programs, and has a student-faculty ratio of 19:1 and 60% of its classes have fewer than twenty students.
| Tuition | Housing | Total | |
| In-state | $11,200 | $12,947 | $24,147 |
| Out-of-state | $39,458 | $12,947 | $52,405 |