2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Journalism is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 14,528 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Plains States region, there were 1,830 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,850 and $22,444 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,631 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 For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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 journalism program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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 For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $10,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #5 spot on the list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNL has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $12,216 for Plains States 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 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
University of Iowa landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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.
North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
North Dakota State University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
University of Kansas ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 243 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,387 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend KU.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Kansas State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, K -State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $14,232 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $10,490 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSU Moorhead has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $12,484 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Missouri State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,527 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.
South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $15,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 24 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $13,078 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 Journalism at University of Nebraska at Kearney
Wichita State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
WSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,642 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSU.
Lindenwood University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Lindenwood University also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $14,388 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Concordia College at Moorhead ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia College Moorhead, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,881 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.
The low 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at Concordia College Moorhead
With a ranking of #18, Drury University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Drury University is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Drury University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,925 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Drury University.
With a ranking of #19, Creighton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Creighton also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton University is $24,458 for Plains States 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 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Drake University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
Drake not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Drake is $25,212 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bethel University Minnesota has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $18,396 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Saint Ambrose University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $23,977 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Evangel University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Evangel is a small school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Evangel, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $21,243 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Evangel University.
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%.
University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UST MN also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $27,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UST MN.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Narrow Results by State
Kansas
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Kansas
Iowa
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa
North Dakota
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in North Dakota
Nebraska
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Nebraska
Switch to a Similar Major
Communication & Media Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Public Relations & Advertising
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Relations & Advertising (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Radio, Television & Digital Communication
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Radio, Television & Digital Communication (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Communication & Journalism (Other)
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Other) (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Journalism students in the Plains States Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Plains States Region
Journalism students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Journalism Schools
Journalism students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Journalism students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Journalism students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Journalism students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Journalism Graduates in the Plains States Region
Journalism students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Plains States Region
Journalism students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Journalism students getting aid in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Journalism students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Journalism students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
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
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
