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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

215 Ranked Colleges
14,453 Degrees Awarded
$33,446 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that 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 Great Lakes region, there were 17,907 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,371 and $25,050 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,453 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 215 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in communication and journalism.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The communication & 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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

1
Wilberforce University crest
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wilberforce University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Wilberforce University is a small school located in Wilberforce, Ohio that handed out 11 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Wilberforce University

2
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hanover College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hanover, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

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 Hanover College Communication & Journalism Report

3
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

Out of the 215 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, DePauw University landed the #3 spot on the list. DePauw University is located in Greencastle, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified 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 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full DePauw University Communication & Journalism Report

4
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 148 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Columbia College Chicago Communication & Journalism Report

5
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Albion College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Albion College

6
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Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

Franklin College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Franklin, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Franklin College Communication & Journalism Report

7
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Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Rochester University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. RU is a small school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 23 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full RU Communication & Journalism Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 1,174 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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%.

Full Michigan State Communication & Journalism Report

9
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Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Granville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Denison University

10
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Principia College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elsah, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Principia College

11
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

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 86%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Butler

12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 114 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - River Falls

13
Ripon crest
Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ripon is located in Ripon, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Ripon College

14
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 468 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Ball State University

15

With a ranking of #15, Great Lakes Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Great Lakes Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 2 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Great Lakes Christian College

16
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John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

With a ranking of #16, John Carroll University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in University Heights, Ohio, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at John Carroll University

17

With a ranking of #17, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 387 bachelors’s communication and 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Miami University - Oxford

18
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana Communication & Journalism Report

19
Otterbein crest
Otterbein University
Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Otterbein is a small school located in Westerville, Ohio that handed out 47 bachelors’s communication and 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Otterbein University

20
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 392 students in 2020-2021.

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 DePaul

21
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Saint Norbert College
De Pere, Wisconsin

Saint Norbert College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Saint Norbert College is located in De Pere, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Saint Norbert College

22

The College of Wooster did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Wooster, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full The College of Wooster Communication & Journalism Report

23
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Alma College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Alma College is a small school located in Alma, Michigan that handed out 22 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Alma

24
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 93 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley Communication & Journalism Report

25

Heidelberg University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Heidelberg University

Rest of the Best 33 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Indiana University - Southeast crest
Indiana University - Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
28
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Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois
29
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
30
31
Capital crest
Capital University
Columbus, Ohio
32
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
33

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