2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value journalism schools.
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2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Journalism Schools
For return on investment in journalism, no school beat Salt Lake Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,426, with out-of-state students paying around $14,244. Students borrow a median of $10,855 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $42,031. Set against $10,855 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Wyoming came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value journalism schools. Located in the town of Laramie, University Of Wyoming is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,768, compared with $24,178 for out-of-state students. Journalism graduates carry a median of $20,283 in student loans. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from University Of Wyoming generally make around $49,890. That is a strong return on a $20,283 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in journalism will find it at Utah State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,560, compared with $24,993 for out-of-state students. Journalism graduates carry a median of $16,710 in student loans. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Utah State University generally make around $41,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Utah State University admits about 92% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in journalism will find it at Brigham Young University Provo, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Provo, Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,688. Students borrow a median of $14,953 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $46,652. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value journalism schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,124, while out-of-state students pay about $30,684. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $24,500. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Metropolitan State College Of Denver generally make around $37,644. That is a strong return on a $24,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Dixie State College Of Utah came in at #6 for value in journalism this year. Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public school located in the city of Saint George. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,306, with out-of-state students paying around $18,246. Journalism graduates carry a median of $18,666 in student loans. Early-career journalism graduates make about $42,266. Set against $18,666 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The University Of Montana came in at #7 for value in journalism this year. Located in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,552, compared with $33,671 for out-of-state students. Journalism graduates carry a median of $26,375 in student loans. Journalism graduates of The University Of Montana earn a median of $35,924 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado State University Fort Collins ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value journalism schools. Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public school located in the city of Fort Collins. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,373, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Journalism graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $36,352. Set against $22,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Boulder placed #9 among the best values for journalism. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,214, compared with $42,970 for out-of-state students. Journalism graduates carry a median of $15,750 in student loans. Early-career journalism graduates make about $34,022. That is a strong return on a $15,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
University Of Denver ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value journalism schools. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,398. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $22,534. Journalism graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $56,999 early in their careers. Set against $22,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.