2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in New Jersey

[General Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/general-journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general journalism students.
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2026 Best Value General Journalism Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general journalism degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Journalism Schools
Montclair State University earned the #1 spot for value among general journalism schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,912, with out-of-state students paying around $26,022. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the general journalism program here. General Journalism graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of $25,575 early in their careers. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general journalism will find it at Rowan University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, with out-of-state students paying around $26,932. Typical student debt for general journalism graduates is $24,238. Soon after graduation, general journalism degree recipients from Rowan University generally make around $34,038. That is a strong return on a $24,238 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general journalism will find it at Rutgers University New Brunswick, which ranked #3. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,929, compared with $37,441 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the general journalism program here. General Journalism graduates of Rutgers University New Brunswick earn a median of $32,523 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 58%.
The College Of New Jersey came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general journalism schools. Set in the suburb of Ewing, The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,632, compared with $25,752 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,429 to complete the general journalism program here. Soon after graduation, general journalism degree recipients from The College Of New Jersey generally make around $42,217. Set against $24,429 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Seton Hall University earned it the #5 place for general journalism. Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Orange. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,170. Students borrow a median of $23,422 to complete the general journalism program here. Early-career general journalism graduates make about $63,871. That is a strong return on a $23,422 median debt. Seton Hall University admits about 73% 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.