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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

75 Ranked Colleges
1,415 Degrees Awarded
$32,292 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 12,911 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $32,980 and had an average of $23,933 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,543 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,946 and $25,594 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,415 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,415 and $23,858 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 75 colleges that offered a degree in journalism. That schools that top this list have a program in journalism in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree journalism students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in the Great Lakes Region

1
Central State University crest
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central State University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Central State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Wilberforce, Ohio. It awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Central State University

2
Olivet crest
Olivet College
Olivet, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Olivet College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Olivet is a private not-for-profit institution located in Olivet, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad 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 full report on Journalism at Olivet College

3
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

4
Franklin College of Indiana crest
Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Franklin College of Indiana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Franklin, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Journalism at Franklin College

5

Out of the 75 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

6

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 141 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at OHIO Athens

7
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 85%.

Full Augustana Journalism Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast

9

Mount Vernon Nazarene University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. MVNU is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Ohio that handed out 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Full MVNU Journalism Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 196 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison

11
Taylor U crest
Taylor University
Upland, Indiana

Taylor University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Upland, Indiana, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Taylor U Journalism Report

12

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 121 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at IU Bloomington

13
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Ball State is a fairly large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 85 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Ball State

14
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Marquette Journalism Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 46 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Kent State University at Kent

16

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at SIUC

17

Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Delaware, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at OWU

18
Goshen crest
Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana

Goshen College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Goshen is a private not-for-profit institution located in Goshen, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Goshen College Journalism Report

19
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Michigan State University

20
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 34 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Journalism Report

21
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Loyola Chicago

22
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College Journalism Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

24

Miami University - Oxford came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Journalism Report

25
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 30 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan Journalism Report

Notes and References

References

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