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

21 Ranked Colleges
1,644 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 13,552 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States. 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 Plains States region, there were 1,644 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,741 and $23,977 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 488 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $11,386 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 56 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $11,427 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Iowa State Journalism Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 109 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,453 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNL.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $8,697 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at UMN Duluth

6
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #6, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 170 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $15,508 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Iowa

7
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #7, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $16,288 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend KU.

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

8
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #8, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kansas State University is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,653 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend K -State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Kansas State University

9

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $12,735 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at North Dakota State University

10

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Moorhead, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,194 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Moorhead.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

11

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Kearney, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNK, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,018 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNK.

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 full report on Journalism at University of Nebraska at Kearney

12
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

South Dakota State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $14,846 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at South Dakota State

13

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $13,144 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Missouri State University - Springfield

14

Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Concordia College Moorhead is a small school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 4 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia College Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,354 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full Concordia College at Moorhead Journalism Report

15
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Lindenwood University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $13,008 for plains states 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Lindenwood University

16

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,272 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WSU.

Read full report on Journalism at WSU

17
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Drake University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Drake also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Drake University is $25,332 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Drake Journalism Report

18
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Webster is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Webster did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,039 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Webster.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Webster

19
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 7 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Bethel University Minnesota also took the #18 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bethel University Minnesota is $21,256 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 85%.

Read more about Journalism at Bethel University Minnesota

20

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,031 for Plains States Region Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

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 St. Ambrose University

21
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Creighton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Creighton also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Creighton is $24,655 for plains states region journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at Creighton University

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