2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
236
Ranked Colleges
13,552
Degrees Awarded
$6,400
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 13,552 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 236 colleges that offered a degree in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 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 Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 209 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Journalism Report
Out of the 236 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 123 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $65 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UF Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown University is $3,077 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at Georgetown
Out of the 236 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #4 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 258 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Journalism Report
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $9,873 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia Journalism Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 145 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Journalism at UMCP
Michigan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 111 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at Michigan State University
Baruch College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baruch is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $493 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baruch.
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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Baruch Journalism Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,753 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Journalism Report
University of Georgia came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UGA is in the top on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,303 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Journalism at UGA
With a ranking of #13, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 236 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, ASU - Tempe also did well on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Journalism Report
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 488 students in 2020-2021.
Mizzou also took the #10 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,005 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mizzou.
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%. 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 Journalism at Mizzou
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,176 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.
Full USF Tampa Journalism Report
University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 115 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern California.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 91%. 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.
Full USC Journalism Report
With a ranking of #17, Boston University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $12,982 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Boston U Journalism Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 39 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 181 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $13,753 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin
Brooklyn College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Brooklyn College
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at California State University - Fresno
University of North Texas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 299 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNT excels when it comes to journalism quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,387 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full UNT Journalism Report
With a ranking of #23, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, SDSU also did well on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $7,169 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at SDSU
With a ranking of #24, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Journalism at NKU
Austin Community College District ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin Community College District is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 22 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $3,264 for Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Journalism at Austin Community College District
