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2022 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

27 Ranked Colleges
1,738 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,738 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,835 and $21,613 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 27 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #1 spot on the list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 308 students in 2019-2020.

UNT also took the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,082 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

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

Full UNT Journalism Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 223 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,921 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Journalism Report

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 184 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,575 for Southwest Region 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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Journalism Report

#4

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,466 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Arizona Journalism Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. OSU is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 25 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,962 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

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

Read full report on Journalism at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

#6

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Journalism at UH

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,326 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Texas Tech University Journalism Report

#8

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Angelo State University is a public institution located in San Angelo, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $11,516 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Angelo State University

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $7,006 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.

Read full report on Journalism at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#10

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Texas State University is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,292 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State University.

Full Texas State Journalism Report

#11

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 9 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,543 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NSU.

Full Northeastern State University Journalism Report

With a ranking of #12, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 248 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,285 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#13

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

Cameron University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Lawton, Oklahoma, and it awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cameron University is $6,296 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Cameron University

#14

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

With a ranking of #14, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 25 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $9,799 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read full report on Journalism at Northern Arizona University

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Edmond, Oklahoma, this fairly large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Oklahoma is $13,381 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UCO Journalism Report

Texas A&M University - Commerce came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Commerce, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Commerce is $10,580 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas A&M University - Commerce Journalism Report

#17

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

With a ranking of #17, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UNM also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $14,458 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at UNM

#18

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

With a ranking of #18, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Canyon, Texas, and it awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, West Texas A&M University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $10,146 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at West Texas A&M University

#19

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #19, San Antonio College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Antonio College is $6,189 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at San Antonio College

#20

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oral Roberts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. ORU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ORU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ORU is $20,104 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Oral Roberts University Journalism Report

Southern Methodist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SMU is $27,331 for southwest 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 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 Southern Methodist University

#22

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #22, Oklahoma Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

OBU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend OBU is $19,373 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at OBU

#23

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

TCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Christian University is $23,246 for southwest region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at TCU

Abilene Christian University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Abilene Christian is located in Abilene, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Abilene Christian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Abilene Christian University is $24,260 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Journalism at Abilene Christian

#25

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #25, University of the Incarnate Word did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UIW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $23,053 for Southwest Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIW.

Read full report on Journalism at University of the Incarnate Word

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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