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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

58 Ranked Colleges
1,391 Degrees Awarded
$30,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,391 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best 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.

Read more about Journalism at Northwestern

#2

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 21 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Georgetown University Journalism Report

#9 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 #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Full UW - Madison Journalism Report

#14 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 #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIUC Journalism Report

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 251 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #2 spot in our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Journalism at Columbia

#6

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 21 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best 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 UMCP are $30,885.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Journalism Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 15 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Journalism Report

#8

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Northeastern University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northeastern Journalism Report

#9

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 49 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UGA are $27,476, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Journalism at UGA

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best 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 University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Full Mizzou Journalism Report

#23 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Journalism at Iowa State University

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Juan, is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras are $3,620, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Journalism at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras

#13

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Journalism at Boston U

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Journalism at Michigan State

#15

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denton, Texas 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.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Journalism at University of North Texas

#16

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best 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 Iowa are $27,613.

Full University of Iowa Journalism Report

#17

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 14 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Arizona

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Arizona State University - Tempe are $27,048, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Journalism at Arizona State University - Tempe

#19

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

With a ranking of #19, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ole Miss is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 8 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Mississippi are $25,099, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Mississippi Journalism Report

With a ranking of #20, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNL are $19,513, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Journalism at UNL

#21

St. Bonaventure University

Saint Bonaventure, New York

St. Bonaventure University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Bonaventure, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

St. Bonaventure also took the #20 spot in our “Best 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 St. Bonaventure University are $14,850.

Read more about Journalism at St. Bonaventure

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also made our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Journalism at Ball State

#23

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #23, Marshall University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 5 masters’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Marshall University are $21,162.

Read full report on Journalism at Marshall University

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Journalism Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Southern California

#25

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WVU are $26,154.

Read full report on Journalism at WVU

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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