2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Great Lakes region, there were 1,983 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,873 and $26,636 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,771 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools
The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.
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Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 233 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
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 #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - River Falls.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,236 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
IUPUI also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,314 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #11, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 71 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #12, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $21,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Indiana University - Southeast came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a small public school situated in New Albany, Indiana. It awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $12,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland.
With a ranking of #15, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Wayne State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $13,668 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #17, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan State University 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.
Michigan State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,696 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.
Illinois State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $19,080 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
With a ranking of #21, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,591 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Central Michigan University.
Taylor University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Taylor University is located in Upland, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Taylor U has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Taylor University is $22,891 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Southern Indiana landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $14,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Eastern Michigan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,042 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Western Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.
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