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2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in West Virginia

[General Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/general-journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for general journalism students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Journalism Schools in West Virginia

2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in West Virginia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general journalism degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Journalism Schools

1

Marshall University
Huntington, WV

$9,162 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,662 Avg Student Debt

$46,354 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in general journalism, no school beat Marshall University this year. Located in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,162, compared with $20,342 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general journalism graduates is $26,662. Soon after graduation, general journalism degree recipients from Marshall University generally make around $23,169. That is a strong return on a $26,662 median debt. Marshall University admits about 96% of applicants.

2

West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

$10,104 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,250 Avg Student Debt

$55,939 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at West Virginia University earned it the #2 place for general journalism. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,608. Typical student debt for general journalism graduates is $24,250. General Journalism graduates of West Virginia University earn a median of $34,075 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.

View All General Journalism Rankings >

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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.