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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region

154 Ranked Colleges
26,603 Degrees Awarded
$14,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Southeast region, there were 26,603 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,512 and $25,772 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 154 colleges that offered 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.

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 communication and journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Southeast Region” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Southeast Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 610 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Communication & Journalism Report

2
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 560 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $29,382 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students per year to attend Liberty University.

Full Liberty University Communication & Journalism Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arkansas State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 254 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for A-State is $14,189 for southeast region communication & 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at A-State

4
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 383 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,946 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students per year to attend Florida State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Florida State University Communication & Journalism Report

5

Out of the 154 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 900 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for southeast region communication & journalism students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 FIU Communication & Journalism Report

6

University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 310 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region communication & journalism students list, UNC Charlotte has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Communication & Journalism Report

7
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University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 183 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Memphis is $13,904 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

Full University of Memphis Communication & Journalism Report

8
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 888 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region communication & journalism students list, UF has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $5,135 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Florida

9
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East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 345 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $16,550 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at ECU

10
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University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 232 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $8,865 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Communication & Journalism Report

11
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Kennesaw State University is a large school located in Kennesaw, Georgia that handed out 417 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Kennesaw State University is $18,522 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Kennesaw State University

12
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #12, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Florida Atlantic University is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 353 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at FAU

13

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 679 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,618 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students per year to attend UCF.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full UCF Communication & Journalism Report

14
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Murray, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school awarded 112 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $11,736 for southeast region communication & journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Murray State

15
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 335 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,989 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Appalachian State

16
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #16. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $12,894 for southeast region communication & journalism students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at ETSU

17
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #17, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 408 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas is $16,507 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UARK Communication & Journalism Report

18
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 964 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,257 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 94%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UGA

19
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 446 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $22,562 for southeast region communication & journalism students per year to attend JMU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full JMU Communication & Journalism Report

20

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 195 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Communication & Journalism Report

21

University of South Alabama ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of South Alabama is a fairly large public school situated in Mobile, Alabama. It awarded 66 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,826 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students per year to attend USA.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of South Alabama

22
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #22. Mississippi State, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 163 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Mississippi State also did well on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State University is $16,122 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Mississippi State University

23

University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is located in Wilmington, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 225 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UNCW is $19,136 for Southeast Region Communication & 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

24
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Mississippi College
Clinton, Mississippi

With a ranking of #24, Mississippi College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Mississippi College is located in Clinton, Mississippi and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,190 for Southeast Region Communication & Journalism students per year to attend Mississippi College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Mississippi College Communication & Journalism Report

25
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

With a ranking of #25, Harding University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southeast Region list. Harding is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Searcy, Arkansas. It awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,456 for southeast region communication & journalism students per year to attend Harding.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Harding

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