2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in Indiana
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for journalism students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in Indiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Journalism Schools
Indiana University Southeast earned the #1 spot for value among journalism schools in Indiana. Set in the suburb of New Albany, Indiana University Southeast is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,424, compared with $22,811 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,981 to complete the journalism program here. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Indiana University Southeast generally make around $43,463. That is a strong return on a $23,981 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis one of the best values for journalism. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Students from in state pay about $10,762 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,891. Students borrow a median of $22,837 to complete the journalism program here. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis generally make around $38,540. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis admits about 76% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indiana University Bloomington earned it the #3 place for journalism. Set in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,144, compared with $41,891 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $39,992. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Ball State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in journalism, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,630. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $25,675. Early-career journalism graduates make about $31,398. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
View All Journalism Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
