Journalism major
Journalism: courses, careers, and where to study
Journalism teaches students to report, write, and verify news across print, broadcast, and digital media, suiting people drawn to research, storytelling, and the public interest.
A Journalism major covers reporting and interviewing, news and feature writing, editing, media law and ethics, and multimedia production across print, broadcast, and digital formats. Programs typically combine a writing-intensive core with skills work in audio, video, photojournalism, and data journalism, and most include a portfolio-building capstone plus an internship at a newsroom, magazine, broadcaster, or digital outlet.
Most graduates earn a bachelor's degree, the typical entry-level credential for the field. They go on to report and produce news, edit copy, manage social and digital content, and handle communications and public relations across media organizations, nonprofits, government, and corporate teams. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of news analysts, reporters, and journalists to decline about 3.9 percent from 2024 to 2034, so many students broaden their training toward digital, video, and communications work.
The major pairs naturally with Communications, Political Science, or English, and the research, writing, and deadline skills it builds transfer to marketing, content, and advocacy roles beyond the newsroom.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Journalism maps to CIP 09.0401, Journalism, within the COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that focuses on the theory and practice of gathering, processing, and delivering news and that prepares individuals to be professional print journalists, news editors, and news managers. Includes instruction in news writing and editing; reporting; photojournalism; layout and graphic design; journalism law and policy; professional standards and ethics; research methods; and journalism history and criticism.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Journalism is awarded as
Of the 11,214 Journalism credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate2%169
- Associate5%562
- Bachelor's83%9,270
- Graduate11%1,213
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 39 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 5 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Reporting, interviewing, and source verification
- News, feature, and investigative writing
- Copy editing and AP style
- Media law, ethics, and First Amendment principles
- Multimedia production: audio, video, and photojournalism
- Data journalism and public-records research
- Digital and social media publishing
- Internship and portfolio capstone
Typical careers
- News analysts, reporters, and journalists
- Editor / Copy Editor
- Multimedia / Video Journalist
- Digital Content Producer
- Public Relations Specialist
- Communications Coordinator
Typical salary range: News analysts, reporters, and journalists earn a median of $60,280 (BLS, 2024)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Journalism, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writers and Authors | $72,270 | 13,400 | +3.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | $75,260 | 9,800 | +0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | $60,280 | 4,100 | -3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,800 | 2,700 | +2.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Proofreaders and Copy Markers | $49,210 | 1,900 | -0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 5 of these 5 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Journalism does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Journalism major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Journalism program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Journalism department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Journalism program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Journalism credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of Missouri-ColumbiaMO · 484
- University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOK · 299
- Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusPA · 251
- University of North TexasTX · 242
- Columbia University in the City of New YorkNY · 239
- University of GeorgiaGA · 239
- Syracuse UniversityNY · 207
- University of Wisconsin-MadisonWI · 203
- Arizona State University Campus ImmersionAZ · 199
- University of KansasKS · 190
- The University of Texas at AustinTX · 163
- West Virginia UniversityWV · 156
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Journalism credentials were awarded
28 states have a distinct enough set of Journalism colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Communications
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
English & Literature
English develops critical reading, analytical writing, and rhetorical skill, a flexible major that feeds into law, publishing, education, marketing, and any field that values communication.
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy, preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
Marketing
Marketing majors learn how to identify, reach, and convert customers, combining strategy, consumer behavior, digital channels, brand management, and analytics.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Journalism degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Journalism degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Journalism path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.