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2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

56 Ranked Colleges
2,817 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools 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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,817 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,148 and $24,945 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 56 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

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

1
UF crest
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 #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UF also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Florida

2

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 #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Journalism Report

3

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 19 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,632 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Journalism Report

4
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 181 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at University of Georgia

5
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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Kentucky University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 50 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

NKU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,947 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Full NKU Journalism Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,256 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Central Florida Journalism Report

7
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #7, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 176 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WVU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,250 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WVU.

Read more about Journalism at West Virginia University

8
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 146 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,690 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arkansas.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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

9
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Marshall University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Huntington, West Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $6,254 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Marshall University

10
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Appalachian State is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $9,940 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at Appalachian State University

11
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Ole Miss is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 64 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,489 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ole Miss.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Mississippi

12
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University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Kentucky is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 36 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UK also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UK is $13,424 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 UK

13
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #13, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Memphis is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UofM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Memphis is $11,948 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Journalism at UofM

14
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $9,520 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Murray State University

15

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 94 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UofSC also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia is $16,404 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Journalism Report

16

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 106 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,970 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at UT Knoxville

17
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 179 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Georgia State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia State is $15,767 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Georgia State Journalism Report

18
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

With a ranking of #18, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $10,661 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Journalism Report

19
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Western Kentucky University is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Kentucky that handed out 65 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

WKU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,211 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Kentucky University.

Read more about Journalism at Western Kentucky University

20

Arkansas State University - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for A-State is $12,019 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at A-State

21
KY State crest
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky

With a ranking of #21, Kentucky State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Frankfort, Kentucky, and it awarded 14 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for KY State is $5,910 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Kentucky State University Journalism Report

22
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UA also took the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Alabama is $19,434 for southeast region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 87%.

Read more about Journalism at UA

23
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

Harding University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Harding is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Searcy, Arkansas. It awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harding, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harding is $16,763 for southeast region 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Harding University

24
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. KSU Georgia is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Kennesaw State University is $16,472 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full KSU Georgia Journalism Report

25

Georgia College & State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Milledgeville, Georgia, and it awarded 75 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Georgia College & State University is $17,335 for Southeast Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Georgia College

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