Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

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

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Journalism is the 58th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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” ranking looked at 18 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.

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.

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 Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Plains States Region

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

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

#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Full South Dakota State General Journalism Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth General Journalism Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the 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.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students list, Iowa State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 more about General Journalism at Iowa State

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 243 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students list, KU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 451 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students list, Mizzou has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students per year to attend Mizzou.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

#14 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at MSU Moorhead

#15 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Missouri State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $16,725 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend Missouri State.

Read more about General Journalism at Missouri State University - Springfield

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend K -State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Journalism at K -State

#9

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #9. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Lindenwood University

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 6 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

#12

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on General Journalism at University of Iowa

#13

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#17 in overall quality

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students per year to attend Wichita State University.

Full WSU General Journalism Report

#14

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.

Read more about General Journalism at Saint Ambrose University

#15

Drury University

Springfield, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

Drury University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Drury University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 per year to attend Drury University.

Read full report on General Journalism at Drury University

#16

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $25,191 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at Bethel University Minnesota

#17

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
#7 in overall quality

Creighton University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. 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 also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton University is $31,400 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students.

The low 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at Creighton

#18

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students 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. It costs about $29,155 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students per year to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UST MN General Journalism Report

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