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2022 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

21 Ranked Colleges
1,304 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Southwest 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 Southwest region, there were 1,304 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general journalism programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 257 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $8,521 for Southwest Region 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 more about General Journalism at University of North Texas

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 184 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Austin.

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 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 UT Austin General Journalism Report

#3

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 98 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full University of Arizona General Journalism Report

#4

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $12,317 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Texas Tech

#5

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $10,203 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Houston

#6

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #6, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Angelo State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $9,799 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Angelo State University General Journalism Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 47 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, NMSU Main Campus has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $6,896 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus General Journalism Report

#8

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $11,125 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas State University General Journalism Report

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 199 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $16,675 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#10

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

NSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $7,614 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northeastern State University

#11

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

NAU also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,251 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Full NAU General Journalism Report

#12

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNM is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNM has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $13,242 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNM General Journalism Report

Texas A&M University - Commerce came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M Commerce is a fairly large school located in Commerce, Texas that handed out 5 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Commerce is $10,013 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas A&M University - Commerce General Journalism Report

#14

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

San Antonio College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,183 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Full San Antonio College General Journalism Report

#15

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oral Roberts University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

ORU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oral Roberts University is $17,078 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Oral Roberts University

#16

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

TCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,286 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TCU.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at TCU

#17

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

OBU also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend OBU is $18,537 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Journalism at Oklahoma Baptist University

#18

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

With a ranking of #18, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baylor University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor University is $26,726 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Baylor General Journalism Report

Southern Methodist University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 42 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $26,718 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SMU.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Southern Methodist University General Journalism Report

#20

Texas Southern University

Houston, Texas

Texas Southern University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. TSU is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 27 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

TSU also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Southern University is $19,390 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas Southern University General Journalism Report

#21

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #21, University of the Incarnate Word did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIW is a medium-sized school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 7 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIW also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,597 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of the Incarnate Word.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of the Incarnate Word

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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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