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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

18 Ranked Colleges
1,450 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 12,336 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,644 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,450 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general 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 general journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 277 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities General Journalism Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 451 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $11,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at Mizzou

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,992 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at UMN Duluth

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,843 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 89%.

Read more about General Journalism at Iowa State

#5

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 146 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $15,073 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#6

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#3 in overall quality

University of Kansas landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 243 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, KU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,380 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Kansas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Kansas

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $11,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at UNOMAHA

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $15,089 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Kansas State University.

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

Read more about General Journalism at Kansas State University

#9

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 11 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, South Dakota State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $16,273 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at South Dakota State

#15 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $13,488 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Missouri State.

Read full report on General Journalism at Missouri State

#14 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, MSU Moorhead has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $12,279 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

#12

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The 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 Lindenwood University General Journalism Report

#13

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#17 in overall quality

Wichita State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,543 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wichita State University.

Full WSU General Journalism Report

#14

Drury University

Springfield, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

Drury University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Drury University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Drury University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drury University is $16,294 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Journalism at Drury University

#15

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Bethel University Minnesota is $19,525 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Bethel University Minnesota General Journalism Report

#16

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
#7 in overall quality

Creighton University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Creighton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Creighton, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton University is $28,108 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Journalism at Creighton

#17

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $24,516 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Saint Ambrose University General Journalism Report

#18

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UST MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota is $26,365 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at UST MN

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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

Footnotes

  • *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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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