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2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Nebraska

[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for journalism students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Journalism Schools in Nebraska

2026 Best Value Journalism Schools in Nebraska

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in journalism, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Journalism Schools

1

University Of Nebraska At Kearney
Kearney, NE

$8,564 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,602 Avg Student Debt

$50,105 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is University Of Nebraska At Kearney, our #1 best value for journalism in Nebraska. Set in the town of Kearney, University Of Nebraska At Kearney is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,564, while out-of-state students pay about $16,484. Journalism graduates carry a median of $22,602 in student loans. Journalism graduates of University Of Nebraska At Kearney earn a median of $36,703 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,602 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, NE

$10,434 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,000 Avg Student Debt

$56,887 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a great value for students pursuing a degree in journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. In-state tuition and fees average $10,434, while out-of-state students pay about $28,584. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the journalism program here. Early-career journalism graduates make about $47,157. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

View All Journalism Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.