2026 Best Value Radio & Television Schools in the Southwest Region
[Radio & Television](/majors/communication-journalism-media/radio-television-digital-communication/radio-and-television/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong radio & television education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for radio & television students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Radio & Television Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the radio & television degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Radio & Television Schools
Leading the list is Alvin Community College, our #1 best value for radio & television in the Southwest Region. Set in the suburb of Alvin, Alvin Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,906, while out-of-state students pay about $4,402. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $8,600 in student loans. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $55,057. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Del Mar College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value radio & television schools. Set in the city of Corpus Christi, Del Mar College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,500, compared with $6,050 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $7,476. Radio & Television graduates of Del Mar College earn a median of $40,661 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,476 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Austin Community College District earned it the #3 place for radio & television. Set in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,550, with out-of-state students paying around $10,590. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the radio & television program here. Radio & Television graduates of Austin Community College District earn a median of $26,951 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in radio & television will find it at El Paso Community College, which ranked #4. Located in the city of El Paso, El Paso Community College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,274, compared with $5,314 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $8,542. Radio & Television graduates of El Paso Community College earn a median of $17,558 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in radio & television will find it at Lone Star College System, which ranked #5. Set in the city of The Woodlands, Lone Star College System is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,664 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,512 for out-of-state students. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $10,425 in student loans. Radio & Television graduates of Lone Star College System earn a median of $39,954 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Houston ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value radio & television schools. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,717, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $23,000. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $24,250. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Texas came in at #7 for value in radio & television this year. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $19,500. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $26,773. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
Northern Arizona University landed the #8 spot for radio & television value this year. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, compared with $20,044 for out-of-state students. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $25,935 in student loans. Radio & Television graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of $24,578 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Sam Houston State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value radio & television schools. Set in the town of Huntsville, Sam Houston State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,228, compared with $19,068 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $24,850. Radio & Television graduates of Sam Houston State University earn a median of $46,365 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Texas State University San Marcos landed the #10 spot for radio & television value this year. Set in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, while out-of-state students pay about $22,930. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $21,858 in student loans. Radio & Television graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $31,977 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,858 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin landed the #11 spot for radio & television value this year. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,044 to complete the radio & television program here. Soon after graduation, radio & television degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $27,551. Set against $23,044 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Texas Southern University placed #12 among the best values for radio & television. Located in the city of Houston, Texas Southern University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,637, compared with $21,473 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for radio & television graduates is $34,750. Radio & Television graduates of Texas Southern University earn a median of $41,890 early in their careers. Set against $34,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas Southern University admits about 97% of applicants.
Texas Tech University landed the #13 spot for radio & television value this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Radio & Television graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Early-career radio & television graduates make about $31,546. That is a strong return on a $24,250 median debt. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
