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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

213 Ranked Colleges
11,380 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

General Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 11,380 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 213 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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

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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 Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 209 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UW - Madison

2
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,857 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Florida

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 258 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington General Journalism Report

5
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Out of the 213 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $9,871 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Georgetown

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
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Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Baruch College is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,741 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Baruch College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Baruch College General Journalism Report

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $6,399 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10

California State University - Fresno landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,655 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno General Journalism Report

11

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 145 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,567 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 488 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,386 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Mizzou

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 126 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $10,688 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UGA General Journalism Report

14
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Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 8 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $3,105 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on General Journalism at Brooklyn College

15
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston U also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $11,782 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Boston U

16

University of North Texas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 259 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UNT is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $6,401 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNT General Journalism Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Austin Community College District did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 22 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $4,907 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at Austin Community College District

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 113 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at USC

19

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 109 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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.

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

20

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $14,977 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 97%.

Read more about General Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin

21

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 42 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $8,216 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at IUPUI

22
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $5,947 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at NKU

23
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SDSU is also in the top of our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at San Diego State University

24

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,256 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UCF

25

With a ranking of #25, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 56 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Iowa State is in the top on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $11,427 for journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University General Journalism Report

Rest of the Best 32 in Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 32 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
27
28
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University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
29
30
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
31
31

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