2027 Best Value Publishing Master’s Degree Schools
[Publishing](/majors/communication-journalism-media/publishing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong publishing education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for publishing students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Publishing Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in publishing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Publishing Schools
Portland State University tops our 2027 list of the best value publishing schools in the United States. Portland State University is a very large public school located in the city of Portland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,118, compared with $29,136 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for publishing graduates is $26,475. Publishing graduates of Portland State University earn a median of $23,449 early in their careers. Set against $26,475 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Students looking for strong value in publishing will find it at Pace University New York, which ranked #2. Located in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $53,510 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,656 to complete the publishing program here. Soon after graduation, publishing degree recipients from Pace University New York generally make around $41,812. That is a strong return on a $25,656 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes George Washington University one of the best values for publishing. 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. Typical student debt for publishing graduates is $22,910. Publishing graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $58,819 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,910 median debt. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes New York University one of the best values for publishing. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Typical student debt for publishing graduates is $21,897. Soon after graduation, publishing degree recipients from New York University generally make around $48,633. That is a strong return on a $21,897 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
A rank of #5 makes Emerson College one of the best values for publishing. Emerson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,056. Students borrow a median of $24,813 to complete the publishing program here. Soon after graduation, publishing degree recipients from Emerson College generally make around $44,046. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Emerson College admits about 51% of applicants.
Other Publishing Degree Levels
Explore the best-value publishing schools at other degree levels:
View All Publishing Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.
