2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,983 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,873 and $26,636 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,771 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 48 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low 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%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Ball State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 71 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
IUPUI also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
Read full report on Journalism at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
UW - River Falls also took the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Indiana University - Southeast ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $6,697 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Southern Indiana landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Oakland University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Northern Illinois University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.
Illinois State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Illinois State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Miami University - Oxford came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Wayne State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 35 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $11,413 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Augustana College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,658 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Read more about Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
With a ranking of #23, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Taylor University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Upland, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
Taylor U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,399 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Taylor University.
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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Kent State University at Kent landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $13,915 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.
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