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

20 Ranked Colleges
1,156 Degrees Awarded
$19,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Southwest region, there were 1,304 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,156 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 20 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,023 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UT Austin

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 236 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $15,086 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at University of North Texas

#3

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,838 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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 University of Houston

#4

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Angelo State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Angelo State is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, Angelo State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,819 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Angelo State.

Read more about General Journalism at Angelo State University

#5

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,016 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Arizona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Arizona

#6

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#12 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNM is $14,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at UNM

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#9 in overall quality

Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $17,571 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Texas Tech

#14 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 47 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at NMSU Main Campus

#9

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Texas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $15,230 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Texas State General Journalism Report

#10

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#17 in overall quality

Northeastern State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

NSU also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $9,994 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Northeastern State University General Journalism Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 188 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,145 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#18 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Commerce ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a fairly large public school situated in Commerce, Texas. It awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M Commerce, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,017 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M University - Commerce.

Full Texas A&M University - Commerce General Journalism Report

#13

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#15 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $12,915 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northern Arizona University

#14

Texas Southern University

Houston, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Texas Southern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Texas Southern University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

TSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for TSU is $19,430 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full TSU General Journalism Report

#15

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma
#16 in overall quality

Oral Roberts University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. ORU is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

ORU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oral Roberts University is $22,248 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Oral Roberts University General Journalism Report

#16

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
#13 in overall quality

Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Shawnee, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

OBU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma Baptist University is $21,446 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Full Oklahoma Baptist University General Journalism Report

#17

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, Texas
#19 in overall quality

University of the Incarnate Word did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIW, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Incarnate Word is $24,784 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at University of the Incarnate Word

#18

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#3 in overall quality

Baylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor is $36,039 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Baylor University

#19

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas
#4 in overall quality

Texas Christian University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, TCU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TCU is $36,811 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas Christian University General Journalism Report

#2 in overall quality

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 42 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SMU is $36,222 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Southern Methodist University

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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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