2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
112
Ranked Colleges
17,907
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 120,571 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 17,907 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,371 and $25,050 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 112 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and journalism programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and 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.
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 823 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,849 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Communication & Journalism at Northwestern University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 277 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,481 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at U-M
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 391 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Purdue has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Purdue Communication & Journalism Report
Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 803 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UW - Madison Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 593 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 more about Communication & Journalism at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 627 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UIUC
With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 656 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $13,273 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Communication & Journalism at Ohio State
Oakland University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 196 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $12,008 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Full Oakland University Communication & Journalism Report
University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,398 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Michigan - Dearborn
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $14,105 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $13,198 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 116 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $12,950 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full SIUE Communication & Journalism Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 521 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,158 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 University Communication & Journalism Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 255 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,306 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IUPUI.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at IUPUI
Sinclair Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 48 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $6,283 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Sinclair Community College
Michigan State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,336 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $20,557 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Communication & Journalism at Michigan State University
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,226 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW - Whitewater
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $14,528 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - River Falls Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #19, Albion College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Albion is located in Albion, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,717 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Albion.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Albion
With a ranking of #20, Franklin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Franklin University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 23 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,259 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Franklin University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Franklin University
Central Michigan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 302 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,720 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 122 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,737 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 87 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #24, DePauw University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greencastle, Indiana. It awarded 66 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
DePauw not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,316 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DePauw.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at DePauw University
University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 49 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,061 for great lakes region communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - Parkside
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