2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (With Aid)
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,206 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 274 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 For Those Getting Aid”.
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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (With Aid)
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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baruch College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Baruch College is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Baruch is $3,562 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
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 #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. 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.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,683 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 142 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Lehman College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,814 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.
With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,215 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
The school has an impressive 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills
With a ranking of #13, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,274 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend UCF.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, 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 92%.
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Juan, , this fairly large public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UPR Rio Piedras is $11,714 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 ranking of #16, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 451 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,740 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.
With a ranking of #19, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 58 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 194 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
ASU - Tempe also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
West Virginia University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $12,983 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 46 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.
UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $19,045 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 159 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UGA has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $13,649 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of North Texas landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 287 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $15,086 for bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.
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