Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region

87 Colleges
$33,946 Avg Salary
$25,109 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Journalism School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, journalism was ranked #70 in the country. In fact 13,552 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 87 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Journalism program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for journalism majors pursuing a .

Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - Madison the most popular school in the Great Lakes Region for journalism students. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, journalism majors at UW - Madison accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt.

Read More…

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Ohio University - Athens Campus is a great place for journalism students. Located in the town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public school with a very large student population.

Journalism majors at OHIO Athens take out an average of $24,845 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $364.

Read More…

The excellent programs at Indiana University - Bloomington helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best journalism schools in the Great Lakes Region . IU Bloomington is a very large public school located in the small city of Bloomington.

The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at IU Bloomington take out is $19,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $560.

Read full report on Journalism at Indiana University - Bloomington

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Out of the 87 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the city of East Lansing.

On average, journalism graduates from Michigan State take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $408.

Read full report on Journalism at Michigan State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Kent State University at Kent. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Kent.

While working on their degree, journalism majors at Kent State accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.

Full Journalism at Kent State University at Kent Report

#6

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

Ball State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for journalism students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, journalism graduates from Ball State take out $26,851 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $291, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Journalism at Ball State University

#7

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, journalism majors at DePaul accumulate an average of around $24,500 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $448, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Journalism at DePaul University

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a large public school located in the distant town of Whitewater.

On average, journalism graduates from UW - Whitewater take out $25,873 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for journalism students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, journalism graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $19,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $194.

Full Journalism at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular journalism programs. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, journalism graduates from Ohio State carry an average student debt load of $21,444.

Read full report on Journalism at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #11, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for journalism students. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at Columbia take out is $26,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $424.

Read full report on Journalism at Columbia College Chicago

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Indianapolis, IUPUI is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that journalism majors at IUPUI take out is $23,652.

Read More…

Loyola University Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Journalism majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $25,254 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional popular schools for Journalism students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Most Popular Journalism Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
14 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
15 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
15 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
17 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI

Best Journalism Colleges by State

Explore the best journalism schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 245
Ohio 426
Illinois 332
Indiana 274
Wisconsin 325

One of 5 majors within the area of study, journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 25 schools only.

  • 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.