by our College Data Analytics Team
[Communications](/majors/communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/communications/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong communications education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for communications students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in communications, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in communications, no school beat Bellevue University this year. Bellevue University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bellevue. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,873. Communications graduates carry a median of $27,852 in student loans. Communications graduates of Bellevue University earn a median of $61,548 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,852 median debt.
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.