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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism

334 Ranked Colleges
9,906 Degrees Awarded
$32,400 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,906 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 334 colleges that offered a degree in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in general journalism.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

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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 “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1

Out of the 334 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 428 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of Missouri - Columbia General Journalism Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 UMN Twin Cities

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 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 237 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of North Texas. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 234 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full UNT General Journalism Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 202 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 87%.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Oklahoma

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 196 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison General Journalism Report

7
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia State is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 179 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at Georgia State University

8
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. West Virginia University is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 170 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WVU General Journalism Report

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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%.

Read more about General Journalism at SDSU

10

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin

11

California State University - Northridge landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about General Journalism at CSUN

12

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Journalism at Ohio University - Athens Campus

13
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UO is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Oregon

14
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it awarded 136 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of Arkansas

15
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Journalism at Iowa

16

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Colorado State is a large public school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 128 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Colorado State University - Fort Collins General Journalism Report

17
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UGA General Journalism Report

18

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. UNR is a large public school situated in Reno, Nevada. It awarded 124 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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 full report on General Journalism at University of Nevada - Reno

19
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #19, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UF

19

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 123 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Journalism at IU Bloomington

21
University of West Georgia crest
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia

University of West Georgia landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of West Georgia is a fairly large public school situated in Carrollton, Georgia. It awarded 117 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of West Georgia General Journalism Report

22
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #22, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 93%.

Read more about General Journalism at Rutgers New Brunswick

23
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #23, Emerson College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at Emerson

24

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about General Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park

25

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at CSULB

Rest of the Best 52 in Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
28
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
29
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
30
31
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
32
33
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
34
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
35
36
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
37
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
38
39
40
41
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
42
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
42
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
44
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi
45
46
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
47
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
48
49
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
49
Samford crest
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama
49
49

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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