Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

18 Ranked Colleges
1,450 Degrees Awarded
$19,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States 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 Plains States region, there were 1,644 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,450 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 18 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 451 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Mizzou.

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

Full University of Missouri - Columbia General Journalism Report

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Journalism Report

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Iowa

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at Iowa State University

#5

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 243 students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend KU is $18,918 for plains states 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%.

Full University of Kansas General Journalism Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNOMAHA is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $14,040 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha General Journalism Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth General Journalism Report

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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 more about General Journalism at K -State

#9

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at South Dakota State University

#10

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. WSU is located in Wichita, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $14,382 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at Wichita State University

#14 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

MSU Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The low 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 more about General Journalism at MSU Moorhead

#15 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at Missouri State

#13

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

Lindenwood University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Saint Charles, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,491 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lindenwood University General Journalism Report

#14

Drury University

Springfield, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

Drury University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Drury University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,419 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Drury University.

Read more about General Journalism at Drury University

#15

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $26,204 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read more about General Journalism at St. Ambrose University

#16

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota is $29,155 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 87%.

Full University of St Thomas Minnesota General Journalism Report

#17

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $25,191 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bethel University Minnesota General Journalism Report

#18

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Creighton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Creighton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $31,400 for plains states 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 92%. The 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 more about General Journalism at Creighton

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You