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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

24 Ranked Colleges
1,631 Degrees Awarded
$32,858 Avg Salary
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,830 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,850 and $22,444 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,631 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 24 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.

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.

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 a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 277 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at UMN Twin Cities

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 451 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Mizzou has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mizzou.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $14,161 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State University Journalism Report

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $12,438 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Minnesota - Duluth

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 88 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $16,197 for Plains States 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 85%. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 UNL

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 146 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $18,272 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%.

Read full report on Journalism at Iowa

#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 243 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Kansas.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Kansas

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $16,889 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend K -State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Journalism at K -State

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $15,686 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 North Dakota State University - Main Campus

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,833 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Journalism Report

#11

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

Concordia College at Moorhead ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia College Moorhead is $20,924 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Concordia College Moorhead

University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNK, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNK.

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 more about Journalism at University of Nebraska at Kearney

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Moorhead, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,002 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Moorhead.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Journalism Report

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,204 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Missouri State.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield Journalism Report

#15

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,326 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Full South Dakota State Journalism Report

#16

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#23 in overall quality

Wichita State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Wichita, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, WSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $14,386 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full WSU Journalism Report

#17

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#22 in overall quality

Lindenwood University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Saint Charles, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Lindenwood University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,340 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Lindenwood University

#18

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $26,589 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Drake.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Drake University

#19

Drury University

Springfield, Missouri
#24 in overall quality

Drury University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Drury University also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Drury University is $16,808 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Journalism at Drury University

#20

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $22,228 for plains states 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 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Bethel University Minnesota Journalism Report

#21

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Creighton has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $28,383 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Creighton University Journalism Report

#22

Evangel University

Springfield, Missouri
#21 in overall quality

Evangel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Evangel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Evangel University is $23,018 for plains states region bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Evangel University

#23

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UST MN is $26,172 for plains states 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 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UST MN Journalism Report

#24

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $27,002 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Ambrose University.

Full St. Ambrose 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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