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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

45 Ranked Colleges
1,674 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general journalism programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UW - Madison

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington General Journalism Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 59 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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%. 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 more about General Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full UW - Whitewater General Journalism Report

#21 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 96 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Michigan State University.

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%. 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 University

#7

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Ball State University.

Read more about General Journalism at Ball State University

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at UW - Eau Claire

#9

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast

#10

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UW - River Falls

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at IUPUI

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University General Journalism Report

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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%.

Read more about General Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#14

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at Northern Illinois University

#15

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $13,965 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Wayne State General Journalism Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Journalism Report

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at EIU

#18

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at Oakland University

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. USI is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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%.

Full USI General Journalism Report

#20

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read full report on General Journalism at Central Michigan University

#21

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University 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.

Illinois State also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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%.

Full Illinois State University General Journalism Report

#22

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Full Western Illinois University General Journalism Report

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Dominican U.

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.

Read full report on General Journalism at Dominican U

#24

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Youngstown State University General Journalism Report

#25

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $23,874 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Augustana.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 full report on General Journalism at Augustana College

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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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