2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region
37
Ranked Colleges
1,618
Degrees Awarded
$16,600
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 13,552 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,618 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,946 and $25,109 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 185 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Full OHIO Athens Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUC also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,285 for great lakes region journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 35 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region journalism students per year to attend Central Michigan.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Central Michigan
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 55 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at UW - Whitewater
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 18 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Oshkosh also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $14,687 for great lakes region journalism students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Read full report on Journalism at UW Oshkosh
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 8 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
WMU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at WMU
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students list, Kent State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at Kent State University at Kent
With a ranking of #8, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Read more about Journalism at NIU
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region journalism students.
Read more about Journalism at UW - Eau Claire
Ball State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 68 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students list, Ball State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,765 for great lakes region journalism students per year to attend Ball State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Ball State University
Eastern Michigan University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region journalism students.
Read more about Journalism at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $13,098 for great lakes region journalism students.
Full EIU Journalism Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 209 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region journalism students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students list, Illinois State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,830 for great lakes region journalism students per year to attend Illinois State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Illinois State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 35 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for great lakes region journalism students.
Read more about Journalism at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Ashland University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,974 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students per year to attend Ashland.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Ashland
With a ranking of #18, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Oakland
Youngstown State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Full Youngstown State University Journalism Report
Indiana University - Southeast came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
Read more about Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region journalism students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at UIUC
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Journalism Report
Columbia College Chicago landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 43 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $26,258 for great lakes region journalism students.
Full Columbia College Chicago Journalism Report
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,034 for great lakes region journalism students per year to attend UIS.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Illinois at Springfield
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 42 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
IUPUI also took the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at IUPUI
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