2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
37
Ranked Colleges
1,618
Degrees Awarded
$20,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 1,618 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,946 and $25,109 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent journalism programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 209 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $22,377 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $20,234 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Journalism Report
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $22,400 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oakland University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $16,142 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Journalism at Oakland
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ball State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 68 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $19,563 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad 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 Ball State
With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $17,844 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at IUPUI
Central Michigan University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan also took the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,135 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Central Michigan University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at Central Michigan University
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $17,253 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Journalism Report
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 18 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,169 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.
Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Journalism Report
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 111 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $25,297 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad 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 Michigan State University
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 185 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $26,039 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full OHIO Athens Journalism Report
Indiana University - Southeast ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Indiana University - Southeast is a small public school situated in New Albany, Indiana. It awarded 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $15,908 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Indiana University - Southeast Journalism Report
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Kent State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $21,662 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Kent State Journalism Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 28 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUC also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $18,841 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full SIUC Journalism Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $18,816 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,575 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Journalism Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $24,534 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read more about Journalism at UC
Wayne State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,814 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wayne State.
Read more about Journalism at Wayne State University
Miami University - Oxford ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $26,704 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Miami University - Oxford Journalism Report
Eastern Michigan University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 11 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,563 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Read more about Journalism at Eastern Michigan
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 14 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,603 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend BGSU.
Read full report on Journalism at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #22, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Augustana also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $25,195 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Augustana College
Ashland University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ashland is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $22,472 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ashland University.
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%.
Read more about Journalism at Ashland
Eastern Illinois University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,594 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Journalism at Eastern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $16,882 for great lakes region journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Journalism at Northern Illinois University
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