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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

274 Ranked Colleges
12,206 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,206 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 274 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great journalism programs and 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.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee is $2,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Washington and Lee Journalism Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern University Journalism Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $6,860 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Journalism Report

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $4,069 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UF

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The 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 Journalism at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#6

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,823 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern.

The school has an impressive 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at Northeastern University

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 also took the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Journalism at Indiana University - Bloomington

#8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 277 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read more about Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

#9

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,201 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Baruch College.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Journalism at Baruch

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at UW Seattle

With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#12

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,898 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Brooklyn College

#13

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 287 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $9,082 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UNT Journalism Report

#14

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #14, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,847 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at UCF

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Fresno State

#16

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Richmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for URichmond is $9,131 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Richmond

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 451 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $11,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at Mizzou

#18

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

With a ranking of #18, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMCP has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $12,128 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at UMCP

#19

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #19, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 159 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $10,241 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Georgia

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

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 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

#21

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,256 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston U.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 92%.

Read more about Journalism at Boston U

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,992 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#23

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $3,289 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Journalism at Lehman

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 101 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,595 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,115 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Read more about Journalism at California State University - Dominguez Hills

Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#28

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#29

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#31

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#32

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#34

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#36

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#39

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#40

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

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.

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