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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

45 Ranked Colleges
1,674 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,879 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,674 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 45 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.

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

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 UW - Madison

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UIUC

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full IU Bloomington General Journalism Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,941 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater General Journalism Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $14,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Eau Claire General Journalism Report

#8

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,474 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls General Journalism Report

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Journalism at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#11

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Ball State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ball State University.

Full Ball State General Journalism Report

#12

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $21,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College General Journalism Report

#13

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $12,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast

#14

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about General Journalism at Oakland University

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University General Journalism Report

#16

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 35 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,668 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Wayne State University

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Michigan State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $20,696 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 91%.

Read more about General Journalism at Michigan State

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at SIUC

#19

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Full Eastern Illinois University General Journalism Report

#20

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $19,080 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Illinois State University

#21

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $14,591 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Central Michigan

#22

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

Taylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Taylor University is a small school located in Upland, Indiana that handed out 2 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Taylor U also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $22,891 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Taylor U.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Taylor University General Journalism Report

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at USI

#24

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Journalism at WIU

#24

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,042 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Full Eastern Michigan University General Journalism Report

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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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