College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

252 Ranked Colleges
$30,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 116,994 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , communication & journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,306 and had an average of $24,240 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 17,001 communication & journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,360 and $23,912 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 252 colleges that offered a degree in communication & journalism. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their communication & journalism program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communication & Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region communication & journalism students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend International College of Broadcasting. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. International College of Broadcasting is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at International College of Broadcasting

2
Wilberforce University crest
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio

Out of the 252 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wilberforce University landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Wilberforce, Ohio, and it awarded 4 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Wilberforce University Communication & Journalism Report

3
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hanover College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hanover is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Hanover College Communication & Journalism Report

4
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

Out of the 252 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, DePauw University landed the #4 spot on the list. DePauw is located in Greencastle, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 50 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at DePauw University

5
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Columbia

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 1,222 diplomas to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Michigan State

7
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s communication & journalism students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Albion

8
Franklin College of Indiana crest
Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

Franklin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Franklin College is a small school located in Franklin, Indiana that handed out 18 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Franklin College

9
RU crest
Rochester University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Rochester University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 19 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at RU

10
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication & journalism degrees to 831 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Northwestern University

11
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio

With a ranking of #11, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Denison University Communication & Journalism Report

12
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Principia College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elsah, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Principia

13
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State University is a fairly large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 501 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Ball State

14
Butler crest
Butler University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Butler University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 147 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Full Butler Communication & Journalism Report

15

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication & journalism degrees to 103 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Communication & Journalism Report

16
John Carroll crest
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio

John Carroll University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. John Carroll University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University Heights, Ohio. It awarded 60 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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 John Carroll

17
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 380 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at DePaul University

18
Ripon crest
Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ripon, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication & journalism degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ripon Communication & Journalism Report

19

Great Lakes Christian College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools 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 4 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Great Lakes Christian College

20

Miami University - Oxford ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 350 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Miami University - Oxford

21
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 51 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Augustana College

22
Otterbein crest
Otterbein University
Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Westerville, Ohio, and it awarded 44 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Otterbein

23
SNC crest
Saint Norbert College
De Pere, Wisconsin

Saint Norbert College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. SNC is a small school located in De Pere, Wisconsin that handed out 42 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at SNC

24

With a ranking of #24, The College of Wooster did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. The College of Wooster is located in Wooster, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 22 ’s communication & journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 The College of Wooster Communication & Journalism Report

25
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan

Alma College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Alma, Michigan, and it awarded 25 ’s communication & journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Alma College Communication & Journalism Report

Rest of the Best 38 in Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 38 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
33
34
35
36
37
38

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options