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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

63 Ranked Colleges
2,769 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Southeast region, there were 3,034 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,329 and $25,516 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,769 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 63 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.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Washington and Lee, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $2,039 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Read more about Journalism at Washington and Lee University

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,069 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on Journalism at University of Florida

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for Southeast Region 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $7,847 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCF Journalism Report

#5

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Richmond. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for URichmond is $9,131 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Richmond

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #6, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,241 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UGA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UGA

#7

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,295 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Read more about Journalism at Northern Kentucky University

#8

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #8, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 180 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $10,486 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Journalism at WVU

#9

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

With a ranking of #9, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $11,566 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at Ole Miss

#10

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,741 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marshall University.

Full Marshall University Journalism Report

#11

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $9,884 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 86%.

Read more about Journalism at Appalachian State University

#12

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UARK is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 124 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $13,132 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Journalism at University of Arkansas

#13

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 122 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,637 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Journalism at Middle Tennessee State University

#14

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UK is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UK is $12,872 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at UK

#15

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Frankfort, Kentucky, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,526 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kentucky State University.

Read more about Journalism at Kentucky State University

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 81 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $13,745 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UT Knoxville

#17

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia

Hampton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Hampton University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hampton, Virginia. It awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Hampton also took the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampton is $25,609 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Hampton

#18

Savannah State University

Savannah, Georgia

With a ranking of #18, Savannah State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Savannah, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Savannah State University is $9,425 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Journalism at Savannah State University

#19

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Radford, Virginia, this fairly large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,355 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Radford.

Read more about Journalism at Radford

#20

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, South Carolina. It awarded 76 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $16,111 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#21

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #21, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,264 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Memphis.

Read more about Journalism at UofM

#22

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, GaSou has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,651 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Southern University.

Read full report on Journalism at Georgia Southern University

#23

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia College & State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Georgia College & State University is a medium-sized school located in Milledgeville, Georgia that handed out 81 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia College also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Georgia College is $14,779 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Georgia College & State University

With a ranking of #24, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,051 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida A&M University.

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

Full Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Journalism Report

#25

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Murray State University is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,185 for southeast region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Murray State.

Read more about Journalism at Murray State University

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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