Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Communication & Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

146 Ranked Colleges
14,850 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 146 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and 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 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.

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 $75-$110k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 354 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $16,784 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 242 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $18,039 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at U-M

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 146 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #3 spot on the list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 103 students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $16,573 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UW - La Crosse Communication & Journalism Report

#4

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $15,537 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Franklin University

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,565 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Communication & Journalism Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 187 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $17,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#3 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison is $21,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 616 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $18,951 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at IU Bloomington

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,138 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

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 UW - River Falls

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 623 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $21,998 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Communication & Journalism Report

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $16,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#12

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 32 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,342 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIS.

Full UIS Communication & Journalism Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k 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 $16,604 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $13,292 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at IU Northwest

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 563 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $21,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Communication & Journalism Report

#16

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 192 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $21,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full NIU Communication & Journalism Report

#17

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 186 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $15,424 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Oakland University

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $14,993 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#19

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 95 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,196 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $17,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#21

DePauw University

Greencastle, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

DePauw University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Greencastle, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw is $23,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePauw University Communication & Journalism Report

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
Top 25% in overall quality

Grand Valley 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 $75-$110k ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $20,113 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Grand Valley State University

#23

Rochester University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Rochester University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,098 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Rochester University.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at RU

#24

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,845 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Governors State University.

Full GSU Communication & Journalism Report

#25

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU East is $13,171 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Indiana University - East Communication & Journalism Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You