Choosing a major in college can be a hard process, but once you do, the next step in the process is an equally difficult one. Finding the right place to pursue your passion is an important step, especially when it’s such a vast major like communications. At times, it can feel daunting because communications has so many fields and branches — the possibilities are endless! As a communications grad myself, I know just how big the field is, but it’s also really amazing because it can open up so many doors for you!
Whether you want to work in broadcasting, public relations, journalism, marketing, or something completely different, Her Campus is here to help you find the best place to do it. Read on for 10 of the best colleges for communications majors.
- Northwestern University
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Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, was ranked the #1 school for communication majors by Niche and College Factual. Their School of Communication offers a wide variety of major options and even provides students with the opportunity to complete dual degree programs with other Northwestern schools. What originally started in 1868 as a certificate program in elocution has now become a full fledged school with five departments offering six different majors, with an award-winning faculty and more than 1,200 undergraduates.
- University of Southern California (USC)
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The University of Southern California takes advantage of its prime position in the city of Los Angeles and uses the culture and diversity of the city to promote such ideals in their students as well. Beginning in the 1970’s USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism has placed itself at the frontlines of communication by being adaptable and have embraced the constant changes in the field to promote a sense of originality in their students. If none of that sways you, then the constant sunny atmosphere can act as the tipping point in its favor.
- Stanford University
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Stanford University’s Communication Department is made of prize-winning faculty who have worked in some of the biggest media organizations in the country, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. With a strong focus on the interdisciplinary nature of the subject, its faculty also come from the fields of political science, psychology, economics, sociology and, of course, communication. Stanford is also home to the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship which brings together 20 fellows from around the world to spend 10 months at their campus in California to work on solutions to the biggest problems in journalism.
- University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
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University of Pennsylvania combines small scale classes with the resources of a large university to allow students to truly embed themselves in their field of study. The communication major at UPenn’s Annenberg School for Communication intersects with various other departments including law, political science, economics and multiple social science fields, which helps students find careers in these areas. The school also has some world-class faculty with plenty of visiting scholars to bring students various perspectives and sources of knowledge from around the world.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been ranked multiple times as one of the top public universities in the country. Their Department of Communication offers students a wide array of concentrations to choose from, including interpersonal and organizational communications, media and technology studies, rhetorical studies, and performance studies. They also offer students the opportunity to take part in internships, independent studies, and a mentorship program in New York that is open to all UNC students and alumni working in the arts and communications fields.
- Boston University
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Since offering the world’s first public relations degree in 1947, this school has expanded their reach and fields of study and now offers majors in advertising, emerging media, film & television, journalism, media science and public relations. Boston University’s College of Communication has faculty that happen to be best-selling authors, Pulitzer prize-winning journalists, and writers and directors for major broadcasting networks, whose skills they pass onto their students who have then gone on to achieve similar accolades and achievements.
- Wake Forest University
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While it might be smaller than a lot of colleges on this list, Wake Forest University is no less mighty. With a B.A. in Communication, students can choose to concentrate in communication science, media studies, public advocacy, integrated communication strategies, or health communication, or pick courses across concentrations for a more general communications degree. They work hard to make sure their faculty stay on top of the changes in the field of communications by participating in workshops and consistently researching and publishing works in academic journals and presenting in film festivals, to name a few.
- Syracuse University
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The Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Syracuse University aims to help students acquire skills that they can utilize in various career fields, including the media, business, politics, law, education, public affairs, public relations, and marketing. Since launching in 1910 as the Department of Oratory, the department has now become one of the first academic programs devoted to communication and rhetoric studies in the country. Communication graduates from Syracuse have gone on to work in places like The White House, Disney Theatrical, and National Geographic.
- Emerson College
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The Department of Communications at Emerson College is one of the top three programs for communications studies in the U.S. Their School of Communication has four departments in multiple fields of communication including journalism, marketing, communication sciences and disorders, and communication studies, with a vast array of majors offered within them. They also offer students the opportunity to work with people in hotspots around the world in areas like Barcelona, Mexico, Chile, China, and Australia, as well as take part in various programs locally in Boston.
- University of Florida (UF)
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The University of Florida utilizes a very hands-on approach to learning, helping students gain real world experience while still in college. UF’s College of Journalism and Communication has a state-of-the-art newsroom, and seven TV and radio stations and digital sites, where students can immerse themselves and find out what it’s like to work for a real media organization. Students can choose to major in advertising, public relations, journalism, and media production, management and technology, and they have the opportunity to work alongside professionals to further enhance their skills and knowledge in their chosen field.
