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2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

56 Ranked Colleges
2,817 Degrees Awarded
$13,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Southeast region, there were 2,817 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,148 and $24,945 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 56 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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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 Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,135 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend UF.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Florida

2

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 #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Journalism Report

3
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West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Virginia University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 176 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $13,355 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at West Virginia University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students with aid list, USF Tampa has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,346 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full USF Tampa Journalism Report

5
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,257 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Georgia.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full University of Georgia Journalism Report

6
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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #6, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 50 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NKU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $9,183 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

Read full report on Journalism at Northern Kentucky University

7

University of Central Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF also took the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,618 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. 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 full report on Journalism at University of Central Florida

8
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #8, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school awarded 146 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UARK also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,507 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Journalism at UARK

9
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region journalism students with aid list, Appalachian State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,989 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

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 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%.

Read more about Journalism at Appalachian State University

10
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Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and it awarded 65 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

WKU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Western Kentucky University is $12,522 for southeast region journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at Western Kentucky University

11
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 33 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,351 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend Marshall University.

Read more about Journalism at Marshall University

12
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Ole Miss is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ole Miss is $12,161 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Mississippi

13
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University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #13, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Memphis is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 58 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,904 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Memphis.

Full UofM Journalism Report

14
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and it awarded 128 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Alabama is $20,917 for southeast region journalism students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 more about Journalism at UA

15
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Georgia State University is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 179 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $17,242 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend Georgia State.

Full Georgia State Journalism Report

16
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $12,752 for southeast region journalism students with aid.

Read more about Journalism at Middle Tennessee State University

17
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Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Murray, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,736 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend Murray State University.

Full Murray State University Journalism Report

18

Arkansas State University - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Jonesboro, Arkansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Arkansas State University - Main Campus is $14,189 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Arkansas State University - Main Campus

19
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #19, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 36 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,203 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend UK.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at UK

20

University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UofSC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,559 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at UofSC

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Arkansas at Little Rock did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a medium-sized school located in Little Rock, Arkansas that handed out 40 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UA Little Rock is $16,065 for southeast region journalism students with aid.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

22
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. KSU Georgia is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,522 for Southeast Region Journalism students with aid per year to attend Kennesaw State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 KSU Georgia

23
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

Harding University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and it awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Harding also took the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,456 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend Harding.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Journalism at Harding

24
KY State crest
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, this small public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,343 for southeast region journalism students with aid per year to attend Kentucky State University.

Read full report on Journalism at Kentucky State University

25
Rust College crest
Rust College
Holly Springs, Mississippi

Rust College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rust College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Holly Springs, Mississippi. It awarded 17 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Rust College is $8,924 for southeast region journalism students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Rust College Journalism Report

Notes and References

References

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