2023 Most Popular Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region
84
Ranked Colleges
1,618
Degrees Awarded
$30,900
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 84 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular journalism programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
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 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.
Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region journalism students.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 209 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Journalism at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 185 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Journalism at Ohio University - Athens Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Journalism at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 111 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Read more about Journalism at Michigan State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kent State University at Kent. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 74 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Journalism at Kent State
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 68 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Ball State Journalism Report
DePaul University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 65 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Read full report on Journalism at DePaul
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Journalism at UW - Whitewater
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Journalism Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 46 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Journalism at Ohio State
With a ranking of #11, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Journalism at Columbia
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 42 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Full IUPUI Journalism Report
Loyola University Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at Loyola University Chicago
Miami University - Oxford ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 37 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Full Miami University - Oxford Journalism Report
Central Michigan University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 35 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Central Michigan Journalism Report
Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Marquette
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Illinois State Journalism Report
Wayne State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Journalism at Wayne State University
With a ranking of #17, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Journalism at Oakland
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Journalism Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 18 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Journalism at UW Oshkosh
With a ranking of #23, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Journalism at Northern Illinois University
With a ranking of #24, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Journalism at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #24, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Journalism at Augustana
college factual
