Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

52 Ranked Colleges
917 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Journalism is the 58th most popular major in the country with 12,336 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 917 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 52 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general journalism programs, but they also cost less that 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 120 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Full Northwestern University General Journalism Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Georgetown University General Journalism Report

#4

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 12 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Journalism at Northeastern

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 5 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Journalism Report

With a ranking of #6, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 1 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus General Journalism Report

#7

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Boston University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 30 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Journalism at Boston U

#8 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

University of North Texas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 21 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of North Texas

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Juan, , and it awarded 6 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UPR Rio Piedras are $3,620, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Journalism at UPR Rio Piedras

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Journalism at Iowa State University

#12

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park

#13

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#22 in overall quality

University of Arizona came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 14 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Arizona General Journalism Report

#14

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa are $27,613, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Iowa

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 70 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715.

Read more about General Journalism at University of Southern California

#16

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UIS General Journalism Report

#17

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Mississippi is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Mississippi are $25,099.

Full Ole Miss General Journalism Report

#18

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #18, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at West Virginia University are $26,154, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Journalism at West Virginia University

#12 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 28 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Nebraska - Lincoln are $19,513, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#20

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Marshall University are $21,162, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Marshall University General Journalism Report

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNR are $21,971, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UNR General Journalism Report

#22

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#14 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

CU - Boulder did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CU - Boulder are $32,980.

Full CU - Boulder General Journalism Report

#23

St. Bonaventure University

Saint Bonaventure, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, St. Bonaventure University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. St. Bonaventure is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Bonaventure, New York. It awarded 42 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Bonaventure did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at St. Bonaventure University are $14,850, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Journalism at St. Bonaventure University

#20 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 2 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best General Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State University are $26,204, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Journalism at Ball State University

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.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You