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

58 Ranked Colleges
2,437 Degrees Awarded
$9,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Southeast region, there were 2,607 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,437 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 58 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general journalism programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Washington and Lee, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $1,612 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington and Lee.

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 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Washington and Lee University General Journalism Report

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UF also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on General Journalism at UF

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 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 southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Southeast Region 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%. 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 UNC Chapel Hill

#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 49 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCF General Journalism Report

#5

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $7,541 for southeast region 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Georgia

#6

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

University of Richmond came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $9,112 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full URichmond General Journalism Report

#7

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northern Kentucky University

#8

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#15 in overall quality

University of Mississippi came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ole Miss has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $9,455 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on General Journalism at Ole Miss

#9

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

Appalachian State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full Appalachian State General Journalism Report

#10

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#12 in overall quality

West Virginia University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

WVU also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,213 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Full West Virginia University General Journalism Report

#11

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $5,770 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Journalism at Marshall University

#12

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#25 in overall quality

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 122 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University General Journalism Report

#13

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#10 in overall quality

University of Arkansas landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 124 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $12,094 for Southeast Region 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 UARK

#17 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Knoxville, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,224 for Southeast 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 89%. 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%.

Full UT Knoxville General Journalism Report

#15

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UofSC is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,426 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UofSC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low 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 more about General Journalism at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#16

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky
#16 in overall quality

University of Kentucky landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UK also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,848 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kentucky.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UK General Journalism Report

#17

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,071 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Radford.

Full Radford General Journalism Report

#18

Savannah State University

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Savannah, Georgia, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Savannah State University is $8,933 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Savannah State University

#19

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Georgia College & State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia College is a medium-sized public school situated in Milledgeville, Georgia. It awarded 81 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia College also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,092 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia College & State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia College & State University General Journalism Report

#20

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Georgia Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

GaSou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Southern University is $12,378 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Journalism at GaSou

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,139 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida A&M University.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at Florida A&M University

#22

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,256 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Memphis.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Memphis

#23

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Kentucky University is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,714 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Kentucky University.

Full WKU General Journalism Report

#24

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Murray State University is a medium-sized school located in Murray, Kentucky that handed out 10 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $8,839 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Journalism at Murray State University

#25

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia
#20 in overall quality

Georgia State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgia State is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 207 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,991 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia State University.

Full Georgia State University 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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