2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in Washington
[General Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/general-journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general journalism students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Journalism Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Washington Seattle Campus the best value for a degree in general journalism in Washington. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. General Journalism graduates carry a median of $13,654 in student loans. General Journalism graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $33,250 early in their careers. Set against $13,654 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Washington State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,391, with out-of-state students paying around $29,950. Typical student debt for general journalism graduates is $22,506. General Journalism graduates of Washington State University earn a median of $36,273 early in their careers. Set against $22,506 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Western Washington University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general journalism schools. Set in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,582, while out-of-state students pay about $28,707. Typical student debt for general journalism graduates is $18,075. General Journalism graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of $34,119 early in their careers. Set against $18,075 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Washington University admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Gonzaga University one of the best values for general journalism. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $55,480 in tuition and fees. General Journalism graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general journalism degree recipients from Gonzaga University generally make around $36,767. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
