2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You
Communication & Journalism is one of the most popular subjects to study in Washington. With 2,086 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
The Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 13 schools in Washington to see which ones offered the best value programs for communication and journalism students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Communication & Journalism Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Western Washington University the best value school in Washington for communication and journalism students. Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
WWU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,703 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from WWU carry an average student debtload of $19,083. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $272, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Journalism at Western Washington University Report
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Out of the 13 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Tacoma, UW Tacoma is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW Tacoma are $12,196 per year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UW Tacoma carry an average student debtload of $16,680. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $224, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UW Tacoma is ranked #1 for overall quality for communication and journalism in Washington.
Full Communication & Journalism at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Report
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Out of the 13 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Washington University landed the # 3 spot on the list. CWU is a large public school located in the distant town of Ellensburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CWU are $8,685 per year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at CWU accumulate an average of around $19,660 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $287, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Journalism at Central Washington University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Washington University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list. EWU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Cheney.
EWU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,922 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from EWU take out $22,246 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at University of Washington - Bothell Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in Washington. Located in the large suburb of Bothell, UW Bothell is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW Bothell are $11,950 a year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UW Bothell carry an average student debtload of $16,680. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $224, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
UW Bothell also took the #3 spot in our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington rankings.
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University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW Seattle are $12,076 a year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from UW Seattle take out $16,680 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $224, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
UW Seattle also took the #2 spot in our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington rankings.
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Washington State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list. Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Wazzu are $12,417 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Wazzu take out is $20,623. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $304, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, Wazzu is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list.
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Gonzaga University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Gonzaga is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Spokane.
Gonzaga undergraduate students pay an average of $48,470 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Gonzaga take out is $26,342.
Gonzaga also made our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list, coming in at #4.
Full Communication & Journalism at Gonzaga University Report
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With a ranking of #9, Seattle Pacific University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the city of Seattle, SPU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
SPU undergraduate students pay an average of $35,646 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communication & Journalism majors at SPU take out an average of $24,329 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, SPU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Washington list.
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Northwest University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #10 on the list. Northwest University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Kirkland.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northwest University are $33,980 a year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at Northwest University accumulate an average of around $23,245 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Value Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 17,589 |
| Oregon | 1,375 |
| Hawaii | 292 |
| Nevada | 523 |
| Alaska | 30 |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings in Washington
Majors Related to Communication & Journalism
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 21,099 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Journalism | 13,552 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Communication & Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 13 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Josh Hallett.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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