by our College Data Analytics Team
[Value](/majors/communication-journalism-media/public-relations-advertising/communication-management-and-strategic-communications/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 1 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in value, no school beat Elon University this year. Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,958. Value graduates carry a median of $21,619 in student loans. Value graduates of Elon University earn a median of $50,463 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.