Best Online Communications Degree Programs of 2023

Updated: May 15, 2023

Strong communication skills are vital to just about every job, regardless of industry. An online communications degree will help develop many valuable skills like research, critical thinking and analysis, interpersonal relations, and public speaking.

Why This Matters

DEVELOP SOUGHT-AFTER TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Transferable skills are aptitudes that are applicable to a number of jobs. In-demand skills like communication, critical thinking, organization, and teamwork are all part of a communications curriculum.
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS JOBS TO RISE 6%

Job growth for media and communications occupations is expected to increase at an average pace through 2031, with an estimated 68,600 new jobs added in that time frame. Job prospects are best for those with degrees.
THE U.S. NEEDS 33K NEW MARKETING MANAGERS

Jobs for advertising and marketing managers are expected to increase at a faster-than-average pace in the coming years. Most jobs require a bachelor’s degree, but some may seek employees who have an advanced degree.

Our Research

This list features some of the best online communications degree programs at top colleges across the country. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. The programs on our list have been accredited by reputable organizations, such as the Higher Learning Commission and Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that assess the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of colleges and universities.

We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for online students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

Next, we compared this comprehensive list of online communications degree programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.