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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

48 Ranked Colleges
1,771 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,983 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,873 and $26,636 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,771 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 48 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 233 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Journalism at UW - Madison

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 142 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at IU Bloomington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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 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%.

Full UIUC Journalism Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Journalism Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 96 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at Michigan State

#7

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, Ball State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State University Journalism Report

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Journalism Report

#9

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast

#10

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend UW - River Falls.

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%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full IUPUI Journalism Report

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at Northwestern

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#14

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at Northern Illinois University

#15

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 35 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $13,965 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full Wayne State Journalism Report

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full EIU Journalism Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Read full report on Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#18

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Oakland University.

Read full report on Journalism at Oakland University

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USI Journalism Report

#20

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read more about Journalism at Central Michigan

#21

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Illinois State University

#22

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Journalism at Western Illinois University

#23

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dominican University Journalism Report

#24

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Full Youngstown State University Journalism Report

#25

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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

Full Augustana College Journalism Report

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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