2026 Best Publishing Master’s Degree Schools
Publishing programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 33 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for publishing students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Publishing in the United States
See the highest-ranked publishing schools offering a master’s degree below.
Top Schools in Publishing
Leading the list is New York University, our #1 school for publishing. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. New York University awarded about 40 publishing degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their publishing degree from New York University earn around $48,633 in the first couple years of their career. New York University graduates carry a median of $21,897 in student loans.
See the full publishing program report for New York University
George Washington University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best publishing schools. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. About 84% of students finish within six years. George Washington University awarded about 47 publishing degrees in the most recent data year. Publishing graduates of George Washington University earn a median of $58,819 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,910.
Read more about the publishing program at George Washington University
Emerson College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best publishing schools. Set in the city of Boston, Emerson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Emerson College graduates 77% of students within six years. Emerson College awarded about 39 publishing degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the publishing program make about $44,046 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,813.
Read more about the publishing program at Emerson College
Pace University New York is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in publishing, landing the #4 spot this year. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of New York. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. About 27 publishing degrees were awarded at Pace University New York in the most recent year. Graduates of the publishing program make about $41,812 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,670 to complete this degree.
Read more about the publishing program at Pace University New York
Students looking for a strong publishing program will find one at Portland State University, which ranked #5. This very large public university is located in the city of Portland. Portland State University graduates 53% of students within six years. About 22 publishing degrees were awarded at Portland State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the publishing program make about $23,449 in their early career. Portland State University graduates carry a median of $26,475 in student loans.
See the full publishing program report for Portland State University
Other Publishing Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Publishing rankings across degree levels:
View All Publishing Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 33 schools evaluated.
- 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.
