2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 121,387 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 18,381 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,631 and $25,490 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,850 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 147 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.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 354 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 147 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 242 students in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 147 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 523 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 623 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 616 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at IU Bloomington
Michigan State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,068 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 students. 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 Communication & Journalism at Michigan State University
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 131 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Purdue University - Main Campus
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 563 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Communication & Journalism Report
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 103 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 187 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - Whitewater
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 92 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW - River Falls
With a ranking of #12, Indiana University - Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Northwest.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 90 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Ball State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 447 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State University.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Communication & Journalism Report
Franklin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #17, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 128 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 95 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - East did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU East is a small school located in Richmond, Indiana that handed out 34 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU East is $3,622 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 37 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - Parkside
Ferris State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.
Grand Valley State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 307 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.
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%.
Purdue University Northwest landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 69 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Purdue Northwest
Indiana University - Kokomo came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Kokomo is a public institution located in Kokomo, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU Kokomo is $4,360 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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 Josh Hallett.
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