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2023 Most Popular Colleges for General Journalism

447 Ranked Colleges
11,380 Degrees Awarded
$33,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Journalism Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

This year’s “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” ranking analyzed 447 colleges that offered a degree in general journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general journalism programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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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 “Most Well Attended Journalism Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Journalism Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for journalism students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 488 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 University of Missouri - Columbia

2

Out of the 447 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #2 spot on the list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 259 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at University of North Texas

3

Out of the 447 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #3 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full UMN Twin Cities General Journalism Report

4
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Out of the 447 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 257 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Kansas

5

Out of the 447 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 220 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of Oklahoma General Journalism Report

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 209 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison

7

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UT Austin

8
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Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #8, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Georgia State is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 179 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at Georgia State University

9
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 176 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at WVU

10
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full SDSU General Journalism Report

11
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #11, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 170 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 88%.

Full University of Iowa General Journalism Report

12

California State University - Northridge ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 161 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN General Journalism Report

13

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at Ohio University - Athens Campus

14
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 148 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Oregon

15
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #15. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 146 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Arkansas

16

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #16. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 145 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UMCP

17

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 136 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UNR

18
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Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 130 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Emerson General Journalism Report

18
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 130 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Boston U General Journalism Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Colorado State is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Colorado State

21
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 126 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 University of Georgia

22
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking, coming in at #22. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Journalism at UF

22

With a ranking of #22, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad 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 IU Bloomington

24
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University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia

University of West Georgia landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major ranking. University of West Georgia is a public institution located in Carrollton, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of West Georgia

25
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Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #25, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 115 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick General Journalism Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Journalism Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
27
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Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
28
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
29
30
31
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American University
Washington, District of Columbia
32
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University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
33
34
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Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
35
36
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University of Houston
Houston, Texas
37
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Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
38
39
40
41
42
43
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Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
44
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DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
45
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University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi
46
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Quinnipiac University
Hamden, Connecticut
47
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
48
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Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
49
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University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
50
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Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Journalism Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
51Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
53St. Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, NY
53Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
53University of Wisconsin - WhitewaterWhitewater, WI
56University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
57Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL
57Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
57San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
57Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
61California State University - ChicoChico, CA
62Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA
62Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
64Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL
64Universidad del Sagrado CorazonSanturce, PR
RankCollegeLocation
66Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
67Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee, FL
67The University of Arizona Global CampusSan Diego, CA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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