2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
666
Ranked Colleges
120,571
Degrees Awarded
$5,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 120,571 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,266 and had an average of $24,758 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 666 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and 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 communication and journalism program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 823 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $245 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Full Northwestern University Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Stanford also did well on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $1,233 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Communication & Journalism Report
Out of the 666 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $580 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UPenn.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $2,084 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Johns Hopkins University
Georgetown University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgetown University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 176 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,077 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full Georgetown Communication & Journalism Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 696 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 803 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 888 students in 2020-2021.
UF excels when it comes to communication and journalism quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $65 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Florida Communication & Journalism Report
Wake Forest University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Wake Forest University
Cornell University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 99 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $5,244 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Cornell University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 627 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $4,858 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UIUC
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 391 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Purdue
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 593 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington excels when it comes to communication and journalism quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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%.
Full IU Bloomington Communication & Journalism Report
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 248 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Columbia Communication & Journalism Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 425 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UMN Twin Cities
Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 168 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Boston College also did well on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Boston College
With a ranking of #18, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,336 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Michigan State is also in the top of our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,927 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Michigan State University
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 441 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Communication & Journalism at UMCP
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 544 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle excels when it comes to communication and journalism quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $5,194 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Full UW Seattle Communication & Journalism Report
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 308 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $8,450 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #22, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 164 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $396 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Hunter
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 610 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $4,176 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full USF Tampa Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #24, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $8,818 for Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Communication & Journalism at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
With a ranking of #25, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 964 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UGA also did well on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools” list. It costs about $8,303 for communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Georgia.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 94%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Georgia
