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Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region

23 Colleges
$37,741 Avg Salary
$23,977 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Journalism School for You

Journalism is the #70 most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Journalism Colleges.

Top 10 Best Journalism Schools

Our analysis found University of Minnesota - Twin Cities to be the best school for journalism students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at UMN Twin Cities take out is $21,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $234, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Journalism at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Report

Out of the 23 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the # 2 spot on the list. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

On average, journalism graduates from Mizzou take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $427, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Missouri - Columbia

#3

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, journalism graduates from Drake carry an average student debtload of $25,000.

Full Journalism at Drake University Report

#4

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

Out of the 23 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, journalism majors at KU accumulate an average of around $22,437 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $494, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Journalism at University of Kansas Report

#5

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Kansas State University is a great place for journalism students. K -State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Manhattan.

The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at K -State take out is $22,852. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $286, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Journalism at Kansas State University

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

With a ranking of #6, University of Iowa did quite well on this year’s best schools for journalism students. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, journalism majors at Iowa accumulate an average of around $24,250 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $395, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #7, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for journalism students. Concordia College Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Moorhead.

Full Journalism at Concordia College at Moorhead Report

Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for journalism students. It came in at #8 on the list. Iowa State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Ames.

After completing their degree, journalism graduates from Iowa State carry an average student debtload of $25,409. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $162.

Read full report on Journalism at Iowa State University

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #9 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Lincoln, UNL is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, journalism graduates from UNL take out $23,548 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $444.

Full Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln Report

University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #10 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, journalism graduates from UNK take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Nebraska at Kearney

Best Journalism Colleges by State

Explore the best journalism schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 543
Minnesota 292
Kansas 347
Iowa 279
Nebraska 155
North Dakota 10
South Dakota 16

Journalism is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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