2026 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Kentucky
[Communication & Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong communication & journalism education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 25 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for communication & journalism students.
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2026 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communication & journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools
For return on investment in communication & journalism, no school beat Northern Kentucky University this year. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,088 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,912. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $24,791 in student loans. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $36,095. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Students looking for strong value in communication & journalism will find it at Murray State University, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,900 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,836 for out-of-state students. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $22,250 in student loans. Communication & Journalism graduates of Murray State University earn a median of $37,910 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,250 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in communication & journalism will find it at Eastern Kentucky University, which ranked #3. Eastern Kentucky University is a large public school located in the town of Richmond. In-state tuition and fees average $10,320, compared with $21,230 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $25,190. Communication & Journalism graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of $35,533 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,190 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Kentucky State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & journalism schools. Set in the town of Frankfort, Kentucky State University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,387 in tuition and fees, compared with $13,578 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $29,774. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $28,497. That is a strong return on a $29,774 median debt. Kentucky State University admits about 96% of applicants.
University Of The Cumberlands came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & journalism schools. University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamsburg. Students from in state pay about $9,875 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $19,331. Communication & Journalism graduates of University Of The Cumberlands earn a median of $27,754 early in their careers. Set against $19,331 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Western Kentucky University came in at #6 for value in communication & journalism this year. Western Kentucky University is a large public school located in the city of Bowling Green. Students from in state pay about $11,652 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,000. Students borrow a median of $25,178 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from Western Kentucky University generally make around $35,195. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Morehead State University earned the #7 position for value in communication & journalism this year. Located in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,024 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,980. Students borrow a median of $24,100 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from Morehead State University generally make around $27,573. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Georgetown College earned the #8 position for value in communication & journalism this year. Located in the town of Georgetown, Georgetown College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,840. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $26,750. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $35,442. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Kentucky came in at #9 for value in communication & journalism this year. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. Students from in state pay about $13,502 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,038 to complete the communication & journalism program here. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $43,371. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Pikeville College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & journalism schools. Located in the town of Pikeville, Pikeville College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $24,850. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $22,966. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $57,157. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Louisville placed #11 among the best values for communication & journalism. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,136, while out-of-state students pay about $29,482. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $23,375 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from University Of Louisville generally make around $38,219. Set against $23,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Louisville admits about 79% of applicants.
Lindsey Wilson College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & journalism schools. Lindsey Wilson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,808. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $26,769 in student loans. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from Lindsey Wilson College generally make around $25,549. That is a strong return on a $26,769 median debt.
Asbury University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value communication & journalism schools. Set in the town of Wilmore, Asbury University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $33,640. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $24,289 in student loans. Early-career communication & journalism graduates make about $25,879. Set against $24,289 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Asbury University admits about 63% of applicants.
Bellarmine University came in at #14 for value in communication & journalism this year. Bellarmine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Louisville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,770. Typical student debt for communication & journalism graduates is $25,853. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients from Bellarmine University generally make around $34,858. That is a strong return on a $25,853 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Midway College came in at #15 for value in communication & journalism this year. Located in the rural area of Midway, Midway College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,110. Communication & Journalism graduates carry a median of $26,723 in student loans. Communication & Journalism graduates of Midway College earn a median of $42,586 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,723 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
More Communication & Journalism Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 25 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
