2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Southeast Region
56
Ranked Colleges
2,817
Degrees Awarded
$14,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Southeast region, there were 2,817 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,148 and $24,945 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 56 colleges that offered 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Southeast Region
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Memphis is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 58 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UofM also took the #22 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,904 for southeast region journalism students per year to attend University of Memphis.
Read more about Journalism at University of Memphis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harding University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Harding is a private not-for-profit institution located in Searcy, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Harding also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,456 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Harding.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Journalism at Harding University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arkansas State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region. Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Arkansas State University - Main Campus is $14,189 for southeast region journalism students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Arkansas State University - Main Campus
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arkansas landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 146 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UARK also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,507 for southeast region journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Arkansas Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Virginia University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 176 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
WVU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $13,355 for southeast region journalism students.
Full West Virginia University Journalism Report
University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students list, UF has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for southeast region journalism students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at UF
University of Georgia ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,257 for Southeast Region Journalism students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UGA Journalism Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $8,346 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full USF Tampa Journalism Report
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $8,618 for Southeast Region Journalism students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 University of Central Florida
Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
NKU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,183 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.
Read more about Journalism at NKU
Appalachian State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Appalachian State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,989 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Appalachian State.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Appalachian State University Journalism Report
Kennesaw State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #12. Kennesaw State University is a large school located in Kennesaw, Georgia that handed out 48 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,522 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Kennesaw State University.
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 full report on Journalism at KSU Georgia
University of Mississippi came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $12,161 for southeast region journalism students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Southern Miss is a public institution located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Miss is $14,032 for southeast region journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Southern Mississippi
University of Central Arkansas ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Conway, Arkansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,554 for southeast region journalism students per year to attend University of Central Arkansas.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at UCA
Regent University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $24,888 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Regent.
Read full report on Journalism at Regent University
Western Kentucky University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Western Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It awarded 65 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
WKU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $12,522 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend WKU.
Read more about Journalism at WKU
With a ranking of #18, Rust College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Rust College is a small school located in Holly Springs, Mississippi that handed out 17 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,924 for southeast region journalism students per year to attend Rust College.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Journalism at Rust College
Murray State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,736 for southeast region journalism students per year to attend Murray State University.
Read more about Journalism at Murray State University
The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #20. Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 128 students in 2020-2021.
UA also took the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Alabama is $20,917 for Southeast Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Journalism at The University of Alabama
Marshall University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 33 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $8,351 for southeast region journalism students.
Full Marshall University Journalism Report
Georgia Southern University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Georgia Southern University is located in Statesboro, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for GaSou is $15,571 for southeast region journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at GaSou
University of Arkansas at Little Rock landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 40 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UA Little Rock is $16,065 for southeast region journalism students.
Full University of Arkansas at Little Rock Journalism Report
North Greenville University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #24. North Greenville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tigerville, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,058 for southeast region journalism students per year to attend North Greenville University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at North Greenville
Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $29,382 for Southeast Region Journalism students per year to attend Liberty University.
Read more about Journalism at Liberty University
college factual
