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2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

213 Ranked Colleges
11,380 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 213 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $48-$75k)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 209 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Journalism at UW - Madison

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 258 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about General Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

3
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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 #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,394 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UF

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 488 students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,715 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about General Journalism at Mizzou

5

Out of the 213 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at IU Bloomington

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 full report on General Journalism at UW Seattle

7
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Georgetown 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown is $12,505 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown General Journalism Report

8

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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 also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at UIUC

9
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Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $7,187 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full Baruch College General Journalism Report

10

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $16,134 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 UT Austin

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,030 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at California State University - Fresno

12

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 more about General Journalism at UNC Chapel Hill

13
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Southern California

14
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also made our “Best General Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $15,037 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Georgia.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UGA

15

California State University - Long Beach landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,189 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 CSULB

16
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. West Virginia University is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 176 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WVU also claimed a top spot 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 WVU is $13,077 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Journalism at WVU

17

Iowa State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 56 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $14,641 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University General Journalism Report

18
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $7,219 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

19

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 145 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,360 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The 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 Maryland - College Park General Journalism Report

20

University of Central Florida came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $9,426 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Central Florida General Journalism Report

21
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 257 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,586 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Kansas.

The low undergrad 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Kansas

22
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,698 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about General Journalism at SDSU

23
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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #23, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,505 for Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NKU.

Read more about General Journalism at Northern Kentucky University

24

Austin Community College District came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,178 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Austin Community College District.

Read more about General Journalism at Austin Community College District

25

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 27 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $15,394 for journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Rest of the Best 32 in Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
27
28
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
29
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
30
31
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
32
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

Notes and References

References

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