2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 121,387 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 147 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The communication & journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Getting Aid
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 Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 623 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 523 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Communication & Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 242 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 616 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at IU Bloomington
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse also took the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 86%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW - La Crosse
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. 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 $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University - Main Campus Communication & Journalism Report
With a ranking of #7, Franklin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Franklin University
With a ranking of #8, 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 Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UW - Whitewater
Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 1,068 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Michigan State
Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. IU Northwest is a small school located in Gary, Indiana that handed out 14 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Northwest is $7,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
Full Indiana University - Northwest Communication & Journalism Report
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 86 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend UIC.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Illinois at Chicago
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. 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.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Communication & Journalism Report
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 Getting Aid 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at UW - Green Bay
University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Indiana University - East ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,722 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - East.
Full Indiana University - East Communication & Journalism Report
Ball State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 447 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend Ball State.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at Ball State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 332 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 113 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid.
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
With a ranking of #22, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Purdue University Northwest
With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,657 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Indiana University - Southeast
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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. It costs about $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Ohio State
Governors State University 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 Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students with aid per year to attend GSU.
Full Governors State University Communication & Journalism Report
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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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