2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Colorado

[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for journalism students.
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2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Colorado
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the journalism degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Journalism Schools
For return on investment in journalism, no school beat Metropolitan State College Of Denver this year. Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. Students from in state pay about $11,124 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $30,684. Journalism graduates carry a median of $24,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Metropolitan State College Of Denver generally make around $37,644. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Northern Colorado one of the best values for journalism. University Of Northern Colorado is a large public school located in the city of Greeley. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,901, while out-of-state students pay about $26,979. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $21,750. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from University Of Northern Colorado generally make around $30,216. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado State University Fort Collins is a great value for students pursuing a degree in journalism, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, compared with $35,061 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $22,500. Journalism graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $36,352 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Colorado Boulder earned it the #4 place for journalism. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. 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. Journalism graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of $34,022 early in their careers. Set against $15,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Denver earned it the #5 place for journalism. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $61,398. Journalism graduates carry a median of $22,534 in student loans. Journalism graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $56,999 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 5 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.