2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 12,336 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,879 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,674 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 45 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.
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. 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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 233 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region 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 91%. 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 full report on General Journalism at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about General Journalism at Michigan State University
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 46 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater General Journalism Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ball State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls General Journalism Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire General Journalism Report
Indiana University - Southeast landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $6,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
University of Southern Indiana came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Full University of Southern Indiana General Journalism Report
Oakland University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 24 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Northern Illinois University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Journalism at Northern Illinois University
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Miami University - Oxford came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on General Journalism at Miami University - Oxford
Wayne State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,413 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State University.
Read full report on General Journalism at Wayne State University
Central Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Journalism at Central Michigan University
With a ranking of #21, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 for great lakes region 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 85%. 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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Journalism Report
Eastern Illinois University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,350 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.
Read more about General Journalism at Eastern Illinois University
Taylor University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Taylor University is a small school located in Upland, Indiana that handed out 2 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Taylor U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor U is $18,399 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Kent State is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,915 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Kent State University at Kent General Journalism Report
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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.
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