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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

26 Ranked Colleges
1,559 Degrees Awarded
$13,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,738 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,835 and $21,613 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,559 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 26 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 287 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for Southwest Region 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.

Read more about Journalism at University of North Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 194 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for southwest region 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Arizona State University - Tempe

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Austin.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin

#4

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend OSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Journalism at OSU

#6

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,317 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Texas Tech University Journalism Report

#7

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UH also took the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $10,203 for southwest region 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%.

Full UH Journalism Report

#8

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Angelo State is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,799 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Angelo State University.

Read full report on Journalism at Angelo State

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 47 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $6,896 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Journalism at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

With a ranking of #10, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Oklahoma is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 237 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $16,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Oklahoma

#11

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $11,125 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Journalism at Texas State University

#12

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,614 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NSU.

Read more about Journalism at Northeastern State University

With a ranking of #13, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Oklahoma is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,297 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Oklahoma.

Full University of Central Oklahoma Journalism Report

#14

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

With a ranking of #14, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Journalism at Northern Arizona University

#15

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 48 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNM is $13,242 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNM Journalism Report

Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Commerce, Texas, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $10,013 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M Commerce.

Full Texas A&M Commerce Journalism Report

#17

Cameron University

Lawton, Oklahoma

Cameron University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Lawton, Oklahoma, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cameron University is $6,652 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Journalism at Cameron University

#18

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $8,730 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Read more about Journalism at West Texas A&M University

#19

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma
#20 in overall quality

Oral Roberts University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ORU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, ORU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ORU is $17,078 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Journalism at Oral Roberts University

#20

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Christian University is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

TCU also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $21,286 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TCU.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Journalism at Texas Christian University

#21

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
#17 in overall quality

Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

OBU also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for OBU is $18,537 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full OBU Journalism Report

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 86 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor University is $26,726 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Baylor Journalism Report

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $26,718 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SMU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Southern Methodist University

#24

Texas Southern University

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #24, Texas Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Southern University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

TSU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TSU is $19,390 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full TSU Journalism Report

#14 in overall quality

Abilene Christian University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Abilene Christian University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Abilene, Texas. It awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Abilene Christian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Abilene Christian is $24,153 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Abilene Christian University Journalism Report

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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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