2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in Virginia
[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.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value journalism schools.
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2027 Best Value Journalism Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Journalism Schools
Radford University earned the #1 spot for value among journalism schools in Virginia. Set in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,548, compared with $25,633 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,135 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $25,675. That is a strong return on a $26,135 median debt. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hampton University earned it the #2 place for journalism. Set in the suburb of Hampton, Hampton University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $30,592. Journalism graduates carry a median of $26,250 in student loans. Journalism graduates of Hampton University earn a median of $28,324 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 62%.
University Of Richmond came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value journalism schools. Located in the city of University of Richmond, University Of Richmond is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,230. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $15,897. Journalism graduates of University Of Richmond earn a median of $43,157 early in their careers. Set against $15,897 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 22%.
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Notes and References
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
