Syracuse University 

Syracuse University is home to the Newhouse School of Public Communications, the nation’s most comprehensive stand-alone school of communications. Newhouse students choose from 8 majors of study, with options like Broadcast Journalism and Magazine, News and Digital Journalism. Syracuse’s journalism students are encouraged to collaborate and experiment as they hone their abilities in content creation, audience engagement, and media technology. Aspiring reporters can build a portfolio of bylines by writing for NCC News, Newhouse School’s student-run newsource covering the central New York beat. 

Admit Rate: 68%

Cost of Attendance: $75,652

Sewanee–The University of the South 

Boasting a nationally-recognized department of English and Creative Writing, Sewanee is a college brimming with tradition. Many of the college’s academic and cultural traditions are influenced by Oxford and Cambridge; students and professors wear “class gowns'' in academic settings and seniors must sit for comprehensive exams to graduate. Pulitzer prize winning playwright Tennesee Williams bequeathed his literary rights to the university, which subsidized literary programs like the Sewanee Writer’s Conference. The Sewanee Review is the longest continuously running literary quarterly in the country and has featured luminaries like Sylvia Plath, William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, and Flannery O’ Connor in its pages. 

Admit Rate: 56%

Cost of Attendance: $64,630

Kenyon College

Ohio’s oldest private college, Kenyon College in rural Gambier, is best known for producing both Paul Newman and skilled writers. The Department of English rose to prominence in the 1930s when Professor of Poetry John Crowe Ransom founded the literary journal The Kenyon Review. Students vie for internships and fellowships affiliated with the journal to develop their skills in literary editing, publishing, and programming. Writers as celebrated and varied as Boris Pasternak, William Empson, and Rita Dove have all been published in its pages. The study of writing at Kenyon spills beyond the English major; the college offers a program in Science and Nature Writing and approaches the science of software development through the lenses of language and form. 

 Admit Rate: 36% 

Cost of Attendance: $71,480

University of Missouri-Columbia

The state’s flagship university, the University of Missouri is the nation’s oldest public university west of the Mississippi River. Similarly, the Missouri School of Journalism was the nation’s first school of journalism and fosters the learning approach called the Missouri Method, “which provides practical hands-on training in real-world news media and strategic communications agencies.” Students at the J-School are introduced to the foundations of ethical storytelling before narrowing their career interests toward specific career paths in areas like broadcasting, photojournalism, and audience strategy. To put learning to practice, students staff an array of professional media outlets affiliated with the university such as KOMU TV-8, the only university-owned commercial television station, and the Columbia Missourian, a local community newsroom. 

Admit Rate: 81%

Cost of Attendance: $45,993

University of Iowa

There’s no shortage of opportunities to flex your writing at the University of Iowa, which has produced more than 40 Pulitzer Prize winners and 7 Poets Laureate. Home of the academic discipline of creative writing, the University of Iowa is the self-proclaimed “Writing University.” In addition to standard majors in English, Rhetoric, Journalism, and Creative Writing, Iowa undergraduates from any major can earn a certificate in writing to further hone their professional communication skills. Additionally, UI is host to the world-famous Iowa Writers’ workshop, a prestigious graduate program. 

Admit Rate: 84%

Cost of Attendance: $47,339 

University of Arizona

At the University of Arizona, departments in English, Creative Writing, and Communications are housed in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. Each of these stand-out programs touts opportunities for hands-on learning and offers students a multitude of professional internship opportunities to gain real-world experience while studying literature and/or writing. The School of Journalism is equally prestigious and strives to train future journalists with passion for global and environmental reporting. The School of Journalism also features a robust mentorship program, which matches new students with alumni and professionals in the field. 

Admit Rate: 85%

Cost of Attendance: $54,443

Gonzaga University 

Gonzaga’s Integrated Media Department offers undergraduate majors in Broadcast Studies, Journalism, and Public Relations, with the goal of molding students into top media professionals with a commitment to their respective communities. While learning the technical expertise in visual and audio broadcast, students also learn to creatively express themselves for the screen by taking courses like “Writing with Sights & Sounds” and “Image Communication.” The Gonzaga Bulletin and GUTV offer aspiring journalists the chance to refine their reporting skills both written and broadcast. 

Admit Rate: 72%

Cost of Attendance: $64,602

Colorado College

Located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado College is a rigorous and creative liberal arts college. The college is best known for The Block Plan, an academic schedule wherein students take one course at a time, each for three and a half weeks. Colorado College’s Journalism Institute takes advantage of the focused academic environment to foster an innovative approach to teaching media. Students at Colorado College can supplement their studies with a minor in journalism, and often devote their Block terms to the pursuit of long-form projects in the field or at work at local media outlets. 

Admit Rate: 13%

Cost of Attendance: $78,080

Grinnell College

A liberal arts college near Iowa City, Grinnell College is a haven for thinkers, writers, and creatives. The college is home to a vibrant creative writing scene for students, faculty, and the community at large. The Writers@Grinnell program invites accomplished poets, authors, and journalists to campus for workshops, seminars, and readings, giving students the opportunity to network and learn from individuals with MacArthur Fellowships and Nobel Prizes under their belts. Aspiring editors should take advantage of the Rosenfield Program, which offers competitive reporting internships at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Admit Rate: 19%

Cost of Attendance: $73,644

University of Mississippi 

The School of Journalism and New Media at Ole Miss believes that “the world of tomorrow belongs to the storytellers.” To that end, students are trained in the tools, proficiencies and learning experiences to write and produce for top media outlets. Undergraduates select from two majors, Journalism or Integrated Marketing Communications, as well as a bevy of specializations such as Fashion Promotion or Sports Communication. Outside the classroom, students can look forward to joining a host of student-run media groups, like the Daily Missippian, or learn from top industry executives at events hosted by the Magazine Innovation Center.

Admit Rate: 88%

Cost of Attendance: $42,034