2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
24
Ranked Colleges
4,720
Degrees Awarded
$13,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 120,571 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,266 and had an average of $24,758 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 4,720 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,807 and $22,176 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
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 Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 236 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
BYU - I also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $3,357 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full BYU - I Communication & Journalism Report
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #2 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 390 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,333 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Brigham Young University - Provo
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 343 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $12,736 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colorado State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full Colorado State Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school handed out 741 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $13,901 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Colorado Boulder
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 350 students in 2020-2021.
U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $11,823 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Communication & Journalism at University of Utah
Utah Valley University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Orem, Utah, and it awarded 203 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, UVU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $9,992 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Communication & Journalism at UVU
With a ranking of #7, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 65 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $6,776 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW
Boise State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boise State is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 215 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $13,582 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Boise State University
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this large public school handed out 173 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
CU Anschutz also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend CU Anschutz is $12,017 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
University of Idaho ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Idaho is a public institution located in Moscow, Idaho. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U of I is $11,148 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Idaho
Weber State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Weber State University is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
WSU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $10,173 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Weber State University Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #12, Dixie State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dixie State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint George, Utah. It awarded 106 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Dixie State College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,087 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dixie State University.
Full Dixie State University Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is a fairly large school located in Colorado Springs, Colorado that handed out 166 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCCS, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,395 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Communication & Journalism Report
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large school located in Greeley, Colorado that handed out 102 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Northern Colorado, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,774 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Northern Colorado Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #15, Utah State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.
USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $9,821 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Communication & Journalism at USU
With a ranking of #16, Southern Utah University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Utah University is a fairly large public school situated in Cedar City, Utah. It awarded 107 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Utah University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Utah University is $10,697 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Southern Utah University Communication & Journalism Report
University of Denver ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 310 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
DU also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $21,285 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Denver.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Denver Communication & Journalism Report
Westminster College Utah landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Westminster College Utah is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Westminster College Salt Lake has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $19,656 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Westminster College Utah.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Westminster College Utah
Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. MSU Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Denver, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,884 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Full MSU Denver Communication & Journalism Report
The University of Montana ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Missoula, Montana, and it awarded 93 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UM also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $13,429 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UM.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UM
Colorado State University - Pueblo landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pueblo, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 30 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Pueblo, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State University - Pueblo is $11,440 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Colorado State University - Pueblo Communication & Journalism Report
Idaho State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Idaho State University is located in Pocatello, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, ISU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Idaho State University is $16,214 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Idaho State University
Regis University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Regis University is a medium-sized school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 23 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Regis U also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Regis University is $22,023 for rocky mountains region communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Communication & Journalism at Regis University
Colorado Christian University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lakewood, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
CCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CCU is $24,541 for Rocky Mountains Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Colorado Christian University
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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
- *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.
Credits
college factual
