Free tool · federal data

What does this major pay at different colleges?

Pick a major, a degree level and a state. You get what graduates of each college's program earned four years after graduating and what they borrowed in federal loans, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, with the national median for the same program as the yardstick.

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Journalism, bachelor's programs nationwide

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Journalism earn a median $56,278 four years after graduating. Among 124 programs with federal earnings data, George Washington University (DC) graduates had the highest median, $81,927 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

Programs with data
124
Highest median
$81,927
National median
$56,278
The link opens this exact comparison.
Journalism, bachelor's programs nationwide: median earnings four years after graduating and median federal debt, in order of earnings.
CollegeStateMedian earnings, 4 yrs aftervs national medianDebt borrowed at this college (median)Add to the side-by-side comparison
George Washington UniversityDC$81,927+46%$25,000Compare
Northwestern UniversityIL$80,258+43%$14,834Compare
University of Southern CaliforniaCA$79,776+42%$15,000Compare
University of Wisconsin-MadisonWI$75,967+35%$21,500Compare
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA$70,829+26%$19,500Compare
Syracuse UniversityNY$70,404+25%$27,000Compare
Elon UniversityNC$69,964+24%$18,000Compare
University of Missouri-ColumbiaMO$69,016+23%$21,000Compare
University of Maryland, College ParkMD$68,128+21%$21,500Compare
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL$67,539+20%$21,000Compare
University of Minnesota Twin CitiesFigure covers 2 campusesMN$66,799+19%$19,500Compare
American UniversityDC$66,635+18%$24,976Compare
University of ArkansasAR$66,087+17%$21,500Compare
Boston UniversityMA$65,617+17%$24,500Compare
Stony Brook UniversityNY$65,535+16%$23,375Compare
Arizona State University Campus ImmersionFigure covers 2 campusesAZ$64,224+14%$18,340Compare
Baylor UniversityTX$63,622+13%$23,525Compare
California State University-ChicoCA$63,358+13%$18,618Compare
Emerson CollegeMA$63,337+13%$23,610Compare
Drake UniversityIA$62,969+12%—Compare
Rutgers University-New BrunswickFigure covers 3 campusesNJ$62,670+11%$23,000Compare
University of KansasKS$62,394+11%$22,000Compare
Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusFigure covers 22 campusesPA$62,336+11%$24,367Compare
Quinnipiac UniversityCT$61,819+10%$23,750Compare
Utah State UniversityUT$61,724+10%$16,932Compare

The 25 highest of 124 programs. Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality.

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Same major, other degree levels: Master's

The Journalism major guideHow much the college matters, by major

What these numbers are

Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed, and a multi-state system whose figure pools campuses in several states is left out of state lists. Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Federal program group: Journalism. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates work as well as the program itself.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV).