Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

246 Ranked Colleges
10,658 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 12,336 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 246 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

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

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

#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 $30-$48k list. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $2,039 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Journalism at Washington and Lee University

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northwestern

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General Journalism Report

#4

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $4,069 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of Florida 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 18 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,063 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General Journalism Report

#6

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Northeastern University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,823 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 97%.

Read more about General Journalism at Northeastern

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 full report on General Journalism at Indiana University - Bloomington

#8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#9

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Baruch College is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,201 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Baruch.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about General Journalism at Baruch College

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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

#18 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Journalism Report

#12

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $2,898 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College General Journalism Report

#13

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

University of North Texas ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 236 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $9,082 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UNT General Journalism Report

#14

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCF is $7,847 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 University of Central Florida General Journalism Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Full California State University - Fresno General Journalism Report

#16

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Richmond landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, URichmond also did well on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,131 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Richmond.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Richmond

#7 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,595 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Mizzou

#18

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,128 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Journalism at UMCP

#19

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#16 in overall quality

University of Georgia ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 159 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,241 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Full University of Georgia General Journalism Report

Top 20% in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State excels when it comes to journalism quality. 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 $10,037 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State General Journalism Report

#21

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,256 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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 University

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,992 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth General Journalism Report

#23

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $3,289 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at Lehman College

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at CSUDH

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

#26

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#27

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#29

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#30

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#32

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#34

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#37

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

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.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You