2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest 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 Southwest region, there were 12,513 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,547 and $23,301 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 66 colleges that offered 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and 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 Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Central New Mexico Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Central New Mexico Community College is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 100 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
CNM also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for CNM is $2,604 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $2,993 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.
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 full report on Communication & Journalism at UT Rio Grande Valley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 558 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $8,521 for southwest region 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 85%.
Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #4 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 472 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for southwest region 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Texas A&M College Station
Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 387 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region 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 85%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Arizona
With a ranking of #6, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 866 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,044 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ASU - 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 Communication & Journalism at Arizona State University - Tempe
The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 304 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UTSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $10,516 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 1,415 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
Trinity U also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity U is $12,373 for Southwest Region 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 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.
Texas Tech University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 619 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech also took the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $12,317 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Texas Tech
Texas A&M International University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Texas A&M International University
With a ranking of #12, Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution located in Durant, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
With a ranking of #13, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 160 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $8,669 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
MSU Texas landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 27 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $7,703 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 30 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Dallas also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $10,857 for southwest region 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 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
University of Houston ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 344 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $10,203 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
East Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. East Central University is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 22 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,787 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ECU.
Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 804 students in 2019-2020.
ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $12,037 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Arizona State University - Skysong.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Arizona State University - Skysong
Texas State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas State is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 762 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $11,125 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Texas State University Communication & Journalism Report
The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. The University of Texas at Tyler is a medium-sized school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 25 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Tyler is $6,797 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at The University of Texas at Tyler
With a ranking of #21, University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Angelo State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,799 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Angelo State.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Angelo State
University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 304 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $12,601 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UOPX - Arizona
Stephen F Austin State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,650 for southwest region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.
Texas A&M University - San Antonio ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 51 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M San Antonio is $9,372 for Southwest Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Texas A&M San Antonio
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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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