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2026 Best Value Political Communication Schools in District of Columbia

[Political Communication](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/political-communication/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for political communication students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Political Communication Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Political Communication Schools in District of Columbia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the political communication degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Political Communication Schools

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

$67,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,250 Avg Student Debt

$90,873 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked George Washington University the best value for a degree in political communication in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,710. Political Communication graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career political communication graduates make about $73,569. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,442 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in political communication will find it at American University, which ranked #2. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Political Communication graduates carry a median of $26,442 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political communication degree recipients from American University generally make around $56,877. Set against $26,442 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.

View All Political Communication Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.