Best Journalism Schools Near Valparaiso, IN (2026)

Valparaiso, Indiana has 19 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $21,315 to $68,322 per year for indexed programs. Valparaiso has a population of about 35,065. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $80,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Valparaiso

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Valparaiso, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Valparaiso city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Valparaiso. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Grace College and Theological Seminary

Winona Lake, IN 66.3 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
56.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $19,932/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,200
Out‑of‑state$31,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Huntington University

Huntington, IN 90.4 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,672
Avg net price $19,310/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,870
Out‑of‑state$31,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

Marion, IN 98.2 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,986
Avg net price $22,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Taylor University

Upland, IN 107.6 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,198
Avg net price $24,865/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Butler University

Indianapolis, IN 122.4 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
73.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,235
Avg net price $36,041/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ball State University

Muncie, IN 123.2 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,833
Avg net price $14,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN 126.4 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
60.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,198
Avg net price $11,668/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Franklin College

Franklin, IN 148.2 miles from Valparaiso
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
43.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,376
Avg net price $22,855/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,710
Out‑of‑state$38,710
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana journalism page.


Journalism Wages Near Valparaiso

Valparaiso is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$70,350Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$67,905
Editor$80,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,587
Public Relations Specialist$77,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$74,373

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Valparaiso at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Valparaiso-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Valparaiso, IN?

Our directory has 19 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Valparaiso. The closest is Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL (40.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elmhurst University (54.5 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Valparaiso?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Valparaiso are: Editor ($80,380), Public Relations Specialist ($77,050), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($70,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Valparaiso?

Portage, IN is 10.0 miles from Valparaiso and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Valparaiso

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Valparaiso:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.