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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

246 Ranked Colleges
10,658 Degrees Awarded
$5,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Journalism is the 58th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,658 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 246 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington and Lee is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee is $1,612 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Journalism at Washington and Lee University

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 246 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 151 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northwestern

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 246 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF General Journalism Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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 student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full UW - Madison General Journalism Report

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

Out of the 246 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Journalism Report

#18 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC General Journalism Report

#7

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch is $1,858 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Baruch College General Journalism Report

#8

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 133 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UMCP

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at IU Bloomington

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,850 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 93%.

Read more about General Journalism at UW Seattle

#11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 277 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

#12

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at Brooklyn College

#13

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at UCF

#14

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#16 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 159 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $7,541 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Georgia

#15

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 96 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State excels when it comes to journalism quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,686 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The 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 full report on General Journalism at Michigan State University

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,264 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at California State University - Fresno

#17

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $234 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Journalism at Lehman College

#18

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 236 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $8,521 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on General Journalism at UNT

Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#20

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Richmond came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Richmond is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University of Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond excels when it comes to journalism quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,112 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend URichmond.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Richmond General Journalism Report

#21

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Northeastern University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $10,239 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at Northeastern University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mizzou has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $10,940 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 89%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,870 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read full report on General Journalism at SDSU

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UMN Duluth

California State University - Long Beach ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 101 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,364 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#29

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#30

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#31

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#36

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#37

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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