2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Plains States Region
21
Ranked Colleges
1,644
Degrees Awarded
$20,300
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States Region” 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 Plains States region, there were 1,644 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,741 and $23,977 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Journalism in the Plains States Region
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #1 spot on the list. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, South Dakota State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $18,578 for plains states region journalism students.
The low undergrad 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 South Dakota State
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,998 for plains states region journalism students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Journalism at North Dakota State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 257 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,257 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend University of Kansas.
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%. 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 Kansas
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 109 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, UNL has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 85%.
Full UNL Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $16,002 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at Iowa State
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 488 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also took the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $16,559 for plains states region journalism students.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Journalism at Mizzou
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Kearney, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
UNK also took the #16 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $17,099 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region journalism students list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $18,505 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Duluth Journalism Report
With a ranking of #9, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Moorhead, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $17,680 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full MSU Moorhead Journalism Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 258 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $17,878 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend UMN 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 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Kansas State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school handed out 83 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $18,433 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read full report on Journalism at K -State
University of Iowa ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region journalism students.
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 low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Journalism at Iowa
With a ranking of #13, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
Missouri State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for plains states region journalism students.
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%.
Read more about Journalism at Missouri State
With a ranking of #14, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
Concordia College Moorhead also took the #11 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,189 for Plains States Region Journalism students per year to attend Concordia College at Moorhead.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Journalism at Concordia College at Moorhead
Webster University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
Webster not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Webster University is $23,248 for plains states region journalism students.
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 Webster University Journalism Report
Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $17,366 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at Lindenwood University
Wichita State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Wichita, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $14,859 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
Read full report on Journalism at WSU
With a ranking of #18, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Ambrose University also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $26,292 for Plains States Region Journalism students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at St. Ambrose University
Drake University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
Drake also made our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $29,903 for plains states region journalism students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Journalism at Drake University
Creighton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
Creighton also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $31,218 for plains states region journalism students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Creighton University Journalism Report
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