2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
37
Ranked Colleges
1,618
Degrees Awarded
$16,300
Avg Net Price*
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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.
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
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 Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 209 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 123 ’s journalism 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 $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full IU Bloomington Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 53 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for great lakes region journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full UIUC Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 42 ’s journalism degrees 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. It costs about $12,416 for great lakes region journalism students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at IUPUI
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
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 University is $19,058 for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan State University Journalism Report
Ball State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 68 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Ball State University
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Journalism Report
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
Full UW Oshkosh Journalism Report
Oakland University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Oakland also took the #22 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Journalism at Oakland
With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in New Albany, Indiana, and it awarded 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
Read more about Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
Central Michigan University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Central Michigan also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $16,007 for great lakes region journalism students with aid 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 more about Journalism at Central Michigan University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,285 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Read full report on Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school awarded 185 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $23,831 for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
Full OHIO Athens Journalism Report
Kent State University at Kent ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.
Read more about Journalism at Kent State
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,051 for great lakes region journalism students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Read more about Journalism at UW - Eau Claire
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Journalism Report
With a ranking of #17, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region journalism students with aid list, WMU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend WMU.
Read full report on Journalism at Western Michigan University
Miami University - Oxford landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at Miami University - Oxford
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 46 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,098 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend EIU.
Full Eastern Illinois University Journalism Report
Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,962 for great lakes region journalism students with aid per year to attend Wayne State.
Read more about Journalism at Wayne State University
University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,034 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
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%.
Full UIS Journalism Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 14 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend BGSU.
Read full report on Journalism at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 11 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Journalism students with aid.
Read more about Journalism at Eastern Michigan University
Youngstown State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region journalism students with aid.
Read more about Journalism at Youngstown State University
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