2026 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in District of Columbia

[Communication & Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for communication & journalism students.
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2026 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communication & journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools
Gallaudet University earned the #1 spot for value among communication & journalism schools in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $19,654. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from Gallaudet University generally make around $25,747. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Catholic University Of America is a great value for students pursuing a degree in communication & journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,378. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $43,259. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Washington University earned it the #3 place for communication & journalism. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $23,862 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $70,104. Set against $23,862 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 47%.
A rank of #4 makes Georgetown University one of the best values for communication & journalism. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Students borrow a median of $16,483 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $89,444. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes American University one of the best values for communication & journalism. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,771 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,733 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $54,201. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Howard University came in at #6 for value in communication & journalism this year. Howard 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 $35,810. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $26,008. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $38,950. Set against $26,008 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.