College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism in the Plains States Region

16 Ranked Colleges
1,481 Degrees Awarded
$20,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.

General Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 11,380 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,481 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism in the Plains States Region

1
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 9 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, South Dakota State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,578 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full South Dakota State University General Journalism Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln General Journalism Report

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, KU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $20,257 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Kansas General Journalism Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $16,002 for plains states region journalism students.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Iowa State University

5

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 in the Plains States Region. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 488 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,559 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

6

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $18,505 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth General Journalism Report

7

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 258 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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 Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

8
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, K -State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,433 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend Kansas State University.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full K -State General Journalism Report

9
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Iowa

10

With a ranking of #10, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $16,718 for plains states region journalism students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Missouri State

11
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Webster University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Webster, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,248 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend Webster University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Webster General Journalism Report

12
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Lindenwood University also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,366 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Lindenwood University

13

Wichita State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,859 for plains states region journalism students per year to attend WSU.

Read more about General Journalism at WSU

14

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. St. Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $26,292 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full St. Ambrose University General Journalism Report

15
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Creighton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Creighton is $31,218 for Plains States Region Journalism students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Creighton University

16
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #16, Bethel University Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Bethel University Minnesota not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $28,178 for plains states region journalism students per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at Bethel University Minnesota

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options