by our College Data Analytics Team
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong journalism education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for journalism students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Maine College Of Art, our #1 best value for journalism in Maine. Set in the city of Portland, Maine College Of Art is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,942. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $27,837. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
This list is compiled 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the one ranked school only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.