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2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major

504 Ranked Colleges
13,552 Degrees Awarded
$34,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Journalism Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” ranking looked at 504 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. To top this list, a school must have a successful journalism program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” list to help you make the college 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. 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.

Most Well Attended Journalism Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Journalism Major”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 488 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 299 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at UNT

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 279 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Oklahoma Journalism Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 258 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Out of the 504 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at University of Kansas

6

With a ranking of #6, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 236 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at ASU - Tempe

7
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Syracuse is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 233 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Syracuse Journalism Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major 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.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison

9

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. 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.

Read more about Journalism at OHIO Athens

10
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #10, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at UGA

10

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 181 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at UT Austin

12
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Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 179 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at Georgia State University

13
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #13. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 176 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at WVU

14
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 170 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at SDSU

15
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa Journalism Report

16

California State University - Northridge came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Journalism Report

17
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #17. Eugene, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 148 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full UO Journalism Report

18
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 146 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at University of Arkansas

19

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 145 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 95%.

Read more about Journalism at UMCP

20

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school handed out 136 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UNR

21

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 142 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Columbia Journalism Report

22
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 132 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read more about Journalism at Boston U

23
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Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Emerson is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 130 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Emerson College

24
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The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #24. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 128 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 The University of Alabama

24

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school handed out 128 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Colorado State

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Journalism Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
26
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
28
University of West Georgia crest
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia
29
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
29
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
31
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
32
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
33
33
35
36
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
37
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University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
37
39
40
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
41
42
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University of Houston
Houston, Texas
43
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Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
44
45
46
47
48
49
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Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
50
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Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Journalism Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MD
51DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
51Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
54Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
54University of MississippiUniversity, MS
56Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT
57San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
58Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
58University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
60Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
61The College at BrockportBrockport, NY
61University of MemphisMemphis, TN
63Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
64St. Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, NY
64Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
RankCollegeLocation
64Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
67University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewater, WI
68George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
68University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
70Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
70San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
70Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
70Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL
74Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
75California State University - ChicoChico, CA
76Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA
76Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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