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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

58 Ranked Colleges
2,437 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Southeast Region 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.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 $30-$48k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington and Lee University landed the #1 spot on the list. Washington and Lee University is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $2,039 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Washington and Lee University

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $4,069 for southeast region 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 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Florida

#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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 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.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k 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 UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for Southeast Region 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 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

UCF also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $7,847 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCF.

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

Read more about General Journalism at University of Central Florida

#5

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Richmond. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $9,131 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at URichmond

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

University of Georgia 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 $30-$48k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $10,241 for southeast region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Georgia

#7

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 12 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $6,295 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at Northern Kentucky University

#8

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#12 in overall quality

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University is $10,486 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full West Virginia University General Journalism Report

#9

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Mississippi is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ole Miss also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ole Miss is $11,566 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Ole Miss General Journalism Report

#10

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,741 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marshall University.

Read more about General Journalism at Marshall University

#11

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

Appalachian State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $9,884 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Appalachian State University

#12

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#10 in overall quality

University of Arkansas landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UARK has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $13,132 for southeast region 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.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Arkansas

#13

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#25 in overall quality

Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 122 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Middle Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $10,637 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Middle Tennessee State University

#14

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky
#16 in overall quality

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $12,872 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Kentucky

#17 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s journalism degrees 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. It costs about $13,745 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville General Journalism Report

#16

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Hampton University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hampton University is located in Hampton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hampton has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampton is $25,609 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Hampton University

#17

Savannah State University

Savannah, Georgia

With a ranking of #17, Savannah State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Savannah State University is located in Savannah, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,425 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Savannah State University.

Read full report on General Journalism at Savannah State University

#18

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Radford is a fairly large public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 57 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Radford University is $12,355 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Radford University General Journalism Report

#19

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#13 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UofSC is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UofSC also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,111 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UofSC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UofSC General Journalism Report

#20

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Memphis is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Memphis is $12,264 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Memphis

#21

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Georgia Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

GaSou also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,651 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Southern University.

Read more about General Journalism at Georgia Southern University

#22

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia
#8 in overall quality

Georgia College & State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Milledgeville, Georgia, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia College is $14,779 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Georgia College & State University General Journalism Report

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Florida A&M University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Florida A&M University is $14,051 for southeast region 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.

Read more about General Journalism at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

#24

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

With a ranking of #24, Murray State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Murray State is a medium-sized public school situated in Murray, Kentucky. It awarded 10 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State is $9,185 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Murray State University

#25

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

Elon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Elon is located in Elon, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Elon also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Elon University is $24,969 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at Elon

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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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