University of Washington’s Communication Leadership master’s degrees are a great value for professionals pursuing the next step in their communications careers. Our program pairs the strategic leadership training of a business degree with the technical agility of a specialized communication master’s, at nearly half the cost of comparable programs.
Tuition & Fees
Estimated Total Tuition
| Digital Media (MCDM) | Communities & Networks (MCCN) | Communication Leadership (MCCL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL CREDITS | 45 credits | 45 credits | 60 credits |
| TUITION PER CREDIT | $887 | $887 | $887 |
| TOTAL TUITION | $39,915 | $39,915 | $53,220 |
| DURATION | Full-time in 12-18 months Part-time in 2-3 years | Full-time in 12-18 months Part-time in 2-3 years | Full-time in 21 months Part-time in 3-4 years |
| FULL DEGREE DETAILS | MCDM program details | MCCN program details | MCCL program details |
- Total tuition cost is an estimate based on the $887 per-credit rate for the current academic year (from Autumn 2026 through Summer 2027).
- Full-time graduate status is 10 credits per quarter, and part-time status is 5 credits per quarter.
- In addition to per-credit tuition, there are also a number of small university fees outlined in the next section.
- You pay per credit, and every student pays the same rate, whether you live in Washington, elsewhere in the U.S., or another country.
Additional Fees
The 2026-2027 quarterly fees include:
- UW PCE Registration fee: $55 each quarter in which you register.
- UW Facilities Renovation fee: Based on the number of credits you’re taking. Ranges from $20-$70 (for 5 credits, this fee is currently $50).
- UW IMA Bond fee: Based on the number of credits you’re taking. Ranges from $9-$32 (for 5 credits this fee is currently $23).
- UW Technology fee: Based on the number of credits you’re taking. Ranges from $11-$38 (for 5 credits this fee is currently $27).
- UW Services & Activities fee: Based on the number of credits you’re taking. Ranges from $52-$182 (for 5 credits this fee is currently $130).
- U-PASS fee: $81 per quarter. Includes unlimited access to most local public transit. More information on the UW U-PASS page (paid to Student Fiscal Services).
- Health Insurance: International students are also required to have health insurance. UW offers its own International Student Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP).
In total, tuition and fees for a full-time graduate student (taking 10 credits) for 2026-2027 is $9,328 per quarter or $27,984 for the academic year.
How Our Tuition Compares
Comparable private programs start at $76,170 and run to $109,536.
| Program & Institution | Duration | Internship Included in Curriculum | Total Required Credits | Tuition Per Credit | Estimated Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UW Communication Leadership (MCDM / MCCN) | 12–18 months | Yes | 45 | $887 | $39,915* |
| UW Communication Leadership (MCCL) | 21 months | Yes | 60 | $887 | $53,220* |
| USC Annenberg | 12–24 months | Select programs | 30–32 | $2,539 | $76,170 — $81,248 |
| Northwestern Medill — IMC | 12 months | No | 18 units | n/a | $104,964 |
| Boston University | 16 months | Select programs | 40-48 | $2,282 | $91,280 — $109,536 |
*Tuition only. University fees are charged additionally per quarter. Comparison covers only comparable programs, except where noted. Figures for other institutions are taken from each program’s published tuition page for the 2026–2027 academic year and are shown for comparison only.
Financial Aid Resources
Attending the University of Washington is an investment in your personal and professional growth. There are a number of resources available to help manage the cost of graduate school.
Federal Assistance
For U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, the FAFSA is how you apply for federal student aid. At the graduate level, assistance comes primarily in the form of student loans. The priority deadline is January 15, but you can still apply after that date. Please note it can take about eight weeks after you submit the FAFSA for you to receive an offer of aid from the UW Office of Student Financial Aid, so please submit as soon as possible.
Note: When communicating with the Office of Student Financial Aid, please always be sure to indicate you are a student in a fee-based program to avoid confusion.
UW Funding Resources
The Graduate Funding Information Services (GFIS) is a fantastic resource at UW committed to assisting graduate students in finding additional funding. Located in the Research Commons at Allen Library, GFIS can help find ways to ease the financial burden of graduate school. Specifically, GFIS provides a funding resources guide, a funding blog with up to date opportunities, as well as weekly drop in hours at the Research Commons and virtual office hours. Drop in hours change quarterly, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
Contact GFIS early as funding application deadlines are often in autumn for the following academic year.
Comm Lead Merit Scholarships
Communication Leadership awards a limited number of ~$5000 merit scholarships (10 maximum) to admitted students in the priority application round (Round 1) each year.
All priority round applicants are considered for these awards, and no additional application materials are required. Awarded scholarships are disbursed in Autumn quarter.
Private Loans
Private loan funds must be certified by the UW Office of Student Financial Aid before they can be disbursed to your account. To ensure that the loan was certified, contact UW PCE Registration Services at c2reg@uw.edu with your full name and UW student number.
Veterans Education Benefits
Veterans Education Benefits can be used towards covering your tuition.
Shih International Graduate Student Loan
UW international graduate students are eligible to apply for the Jeff Shih Student Loan. The loans are made possible through a generous gift from Jeff Shih, a Seattle and San Francisco businessman, and are intended to help international students in financing their education and completing their degree objectives.
Other Funding Resources
There are other scholarship and grant opportunities available beyond those offered by the UW and Communication Leadership. These can range from merit based scholarships to diversity grants. For a comprehensive list, please see the Office of Fellowships and Assistantships page on the Graduate School website.
GSEE Graduate Supplemental Awards
Comm Lead can nominate up to four students per year for the Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE) Graduate Supplemental Awards. While limited in number, these awards can provide substantial assistance to students pursuing a graduate degree. Nominations are due in late April, so if you are interested in being nominated for a GSEE Graduate Supplemental Award, please contact us by April 15 at commlead@uw.edu.
Communication Leadership Job Opportunities
Quarterly projects offered through our Communications Consultancy are a chance for students to offset some tuition costs by working on independent communication and storytelling projects for client organizations.
For advanced Communication Leadership students, there may be opportunities to apply for grader positions or student assistant positions with Comm Lead. These opportunities are announced to students when they are available.
Comm Lead Emergency Tuition Scholarship
This scholarship’s purpose is to aid students faced with a sudden change in circumstance that interferes with their ability to pay tuition for a planned quarter, such as a sudden unexpected job loss, currency devaluation, divorce or death of a partner, or identity theft/financial fraud.
Applications are evaluated quarterly, near the start of the quarter. More details available on Sharepoint.
University of Washington Emergency Funds
University of Washington Emergency Aid assists students who are experiencing unexpected financial hardships that may disrupt their education or prevent them from earning their UW degree. Examples of hardship include (but are not limited to): emergency medical/dental costs, housing and living expenses, family emergencies, natural disasters, and unexpected loss of income.
There are many other emergency assistance options on and off campus, from short-term loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid, to the UW Campus Food Pantry for food insecure students.
Department of Communication Emergency Funds
The Department of Communication has an emergency fund available to students, called the Dolores Eyler Fund, which is meant to assist with unexpected challenging expenses such as health care costs, car repairs, and emergency travel. Please consider applying to this fund for non-tuition emergency expenses.
Common Questions About Cost
According to a Georgetown University study, graduates of the Communication Leadership Master’s Program have the highest net earnings after debt payments, three years after graduating, of any digital communication Master’s program in the United States. That measure accounts for both what graduates earn and what they owe. Total tuition is $39,915 for the 45-credit degrees and $53,220 for the 60-credit degree, compared with $76,170 and upwards for comparable master’s programs (reference tuition rates taken from USC Annenberg, Northwestern Medill, Boston University).
Communication Leadership is a fee-based program, so all students pay the same $887 per credit regardless of residency. We want to ensure a student has access to the same facilities and education equally, our program is structured in a way for all students so that there is no in-state, out-of-state, or international rate, unlike most graduate programs. As a public university program, we are also able to offer this at a lower cost than comparable private programs.
Tuition you will pay is $887 per credit. Total tuition is $39,915 for the 45-credit degrees and $53,220 for the 60-credit degree (rate is only applicable for the 2026-2027 academic year).
University fees are charged per quarter and add roughly $460 per quarter on top of tuition, so the exact total depends on how many quarters you study.
For living costs, UW Student Financial Aid estimates $28,113 for a nine-month academic year for a graduate student living on or off campus, covering rent, utilities, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses. That estimate drops to $10,563 for students living with family. This is only an estimation and the cost can change if you are sharing accommodation or living with family members.
The total cost will vary depending on how soon you plan to finish the program and the quarters taken in doing so.
There are several financial aid options for you to consider (listed above). We also offer up to 10 merit scholarships of ~$5,000 each year to admitted students in the priority round, considered automatically with no additional materials required.
A private program offering a large scholarship can still cost more than full tuition in our program. Our approach is to keep tuition low from the start, so the cost is competitive and affordable even without requiring an award.
The University of Washington posts on-campus jobs across departments and colleges, and these can help offset your expenses. Within the program, we hire student assistants for staff support roles across events, outreach, marketing, and more. Communication Leadership Consulting also runs paid client projects each quarter, which lets you earn while building portfolio work. All of these are open to all students.
Positions are limited and awarded competitively, so they are best treated as a supplement rather than a core part of your financial strategy.
These roles are categorized as on-campus employment and are paid through UW payroll. International students should note that weekly hour limits apply to on-campus work — check with UW International Student Services for current limits.
University of Washington
Department of Communication