2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 172 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 194 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $11,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at Arizona State University - Tempe
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 287 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UNT has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $15,086 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,838 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Houston.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Angelo State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Angelo State University is a fairly large public school situated in San Angelo, Texas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Angelo State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $13,819 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
University of Arizona came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,016 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 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. It costs about $14,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend UNM.
Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Journalism Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,648 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Journalism at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Texas Tech University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, Texas Tech has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,571 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Texas Tech.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #10, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
NMSU Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $8,659 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
Read more about Journalism at New Mexico State University - Main Campus
Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas State also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $15,230 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
Northeastern State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern State University is a public institution located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, NSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $9,994 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 237 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,145 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.
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.
University of Central Oklahoma did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. 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 also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCO is $16,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Central Oklahoma
West Texas A&M University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, West Texas A&M University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $12,761 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Commerce, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 5 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Commerce is $13,017 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
Cameron University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cameron University is a public institution located in Lawton, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,952 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Cameron University.
Northern Arizona University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
NAU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $12,915 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
With a ranking of #19, Texas Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Southern University is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, TSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Southern University is $19,430 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
Oral Roberts University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oral Roberts University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ORU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $22,248 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Oral Roberts University.
Oklahoma Baptist University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. OBU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Shawnee, Oklahoma. 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. It costs about $21,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend Oklahoma Baptist University.
With a ranking of #22, University of the Incarnate Word did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
UIW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIW is $24,784 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.
Read more about Journalism at University of the Incarnate Word
Abilene Christian University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Abilene, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.
Abilene Christian also took the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Abilene Christian University is $26,809 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.
Baylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $36,039 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Baylor.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 91%.
Texas Christian University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s 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 $36,811 for southwest region bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend TCU.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
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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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