2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region
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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. 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” 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.
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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 in the Great Lakes Region”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater also took the #11 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #2 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - River Falls also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Journalism Report
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 19 students 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 UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend Illinois State University.
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%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend Western Illinois University.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
Western Michigan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 183 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
OHIO Athens also took the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OHIO Athens is $22,906 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students.
Kent State University at Kent came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 63 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.
Indiana University - Southeast landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a small public school situated in New Albany, Indiana. It awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
Youngstown State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students.
Ashland University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ashland, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend Ashland University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Ball State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 16 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students per year to attend BGSU.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Journalism Report
University of Southern Indiana came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
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%.
With a ranking of #20, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Oakland University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students.
With a ranking of #24, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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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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