by our College Data Analytics Team
[Publishing](/majors/communication-journalism-media/publishing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value publishing schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the publishing degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in publishing, no school beat Cuny City College this year. Located in the city of New York, Cuny City College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,340, while out-of-state students pay about $15,290. Students borrow a median of $13,389 to complete the publishing program here. Early-career publishing graduates make about $53,154. Set against $13,389 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
A rank of #2 makes Pace University New York one of the best values for publishing. Located in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,510. Publishing graduates carry a median of $25,670 in student loans. Soon after graduation, publishing degree recipients from Pace University New York generally make around $41,812. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in publishing will find it at New York University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Publishing graduates carry a median of $21,897 in student loans. Early-career publishing graduates make about $48,633. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Washington University earned it the #4 place for publishing. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Students borrow a median of $22,910 to complete the publishing program here. Soon after graduation, publishing degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $58,819. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 47%.
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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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.