2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Journalism is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 14,528 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 12,206 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 274 colleges that offered a degree in journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the journalism program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Washington and Lee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee is $1,612 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 130 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UF also took the #8 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 18 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,477 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Baruch College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baruch is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Baruch is $1,858 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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.
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UMCP also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,054 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMCP.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park
With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 142 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Journalism Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 277 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $7,266 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Journalism Report
With a ranking of #12, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #13, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 49 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #14, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $7,541 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 students.
Michigan State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Michigan State also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,686 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Fresno ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Journalism at California State University - Fresno
With a ranking of #17, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $234 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehman College.
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 287 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,521 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 53 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Ohio State also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Richmond ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, URichmond also did well on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,112 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend URichmond.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Northeastern University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,239 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern University.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 451 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,558 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
ASU - Tempe also claimed a top spot on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
San Diego State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
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