2023 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
213
Ranked Colleges
11,380
Degrees Awarded
$6,500
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 213 colleges that offered a degree in general journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general 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 general journalism program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 213 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 209 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General Journalism Report
Out of the 213 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida 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 this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $65 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Journalism at University of Florida
Out of the 213 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Georgetown also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown is $3,077 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 Georgetown General Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full IU Bloomington General Journalism Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $4,858 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UIUC General Journalism Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UMCP also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 95%.
Read full report on General Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park
With a ranking of #8, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 111 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Michigan State also did well on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Michigan State General Journalism Report
Baruch College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $493 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Baruch College General Journalism Report
University of Georgia ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 126 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $8,303 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on General Journalism at UGA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 95%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General Journalism Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 488 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,005 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.
Read more about General Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Southern California ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full USC General Journalism Report
Boston University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $12,982 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about General Journalism at Boston U
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,194 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 93%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus General Journalism Report
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 181 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UT Austin General Journalism Report
Brooklyn College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on General Journalism at Brooklyn College
California State University - Fresno ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 85 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,859 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Full California State University - Fresno General Journalism Report
San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SDSU is also in the top of our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%.
Full San Diego State University General Journalism Report
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 259 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UNT is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $6,387 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNT.
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 General Journalism at University of North Texas
Northern Kentucky University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is a fairly large school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky that handed out 14 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NKU is $4,632 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Journalism at NKU
With a ranking of #22, Austin Community College District did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin Community College District is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 22 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $3,264 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Journalism at Austin Community College District
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 109 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Journalism at California State University - Long Beach
University of Central Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UCF General Journalism Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Iowa General Journalism Report
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