2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Arizona
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong journalism education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for journalism students.
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2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Arizona
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Journalism Schools
Our analysis ranked Arizona State University the best value for a degree in journalism in Arizona. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,139. Students borrow a median of $19,937 to complete the journalism program here. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from Arizona State University generally make around $43,126. That is a strong return on a $19,937 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in journalism will find it at Northern Arizona University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,619, with out-of-state students paying around $20,044. Journalism graduates carry a median of $18,062 in student loans. Early-career journalism graduates make about $33,710. That is a strong return on a $18,062 median debt. Northern Arizona University admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Arizona earned it the #3 place for journalism. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Typical student debt for journalism graduates is $20,520. Soon after graduation, journalism degree recipients from University Of Arizona generally make around $36,521. Set against $20,520 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% 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 · 14 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.
