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Journalism

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Journalism majors learn to report, write, and tell true stories across platforms—print, broadcast, audio, and digital. Coursework covers reporting and interviewing, news writing and editing, media law and ethics, photojournalism, data journalism, and multimedia production. From your first year you'll be in newsrooms producing real work on deadline.

Most programs run a student newspaper, news site, TV newscast, or radio station where you can publish and broadcast before you graduate, and many require an internship at a news outlet, magazine, or digital newsroom—often the thing that lands your first job.

What you'll do after college

Grads work as reporters, editors, producers, anchors, photojournalists, and multimedia journalists at newspapers, magazines, wire services, TV and radio stations, and digital news outlets. Some specialize in investigative, political, sports, science, or data journalism; others move into documentary, audio and podcasting, or communications roles.

The industry has been reshaped by digital platforms, so most jobs now expect comfort with video, audio, and social distribution alongside sharp writing and reporting. Entry pay is modest and the hours can be brutal, but the work offers a front-row seat to history and a clear public purpose.

Famous graduates

  • Christiane Amanpour — CNN Chief International Anchor; B.A. in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island
  • Dan Rather — Longtime CBS Evening News anchor; B.A. in Journalism from Sam Houston State University
  • George R.R. Martin — Game of Thrones novelist; B.S.J. and M.S.J. in Journalism from Northwestern University (Medill)
  • Brad Pitt — Hollywood icon; journalism major at the University of Missouri who left two credits shy of his degree

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$56,750
1,457
100–85%
$57,286
3,404
85–71%
$57,103
3,391
71–35%
$60,539
1,437
35–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$50,628
1,216
400–1120
$59,106
2,921
1120–1240
$60,645
2,726
1240–1410
$62,675
1,186
1410–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$44,594p10 $63,303p90 Arts Work College Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Liberal Arts 1–15 Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 Emerson College · $57,597 The New School · $49,826 SUNY at Purchase College · $44,594 Columbia College Chicago · $49,320 Oklahoma City University · $52,101 College of the Ozarks · $43,173 Denison University · $63,303 Rust College · $39,491 Oakwood University · $50,802 Flagler College · $45,244 Dordt University · $54,007 Drury University · $50,817 Elizabethtown College · $53,872 North Central College · $51,687 Augustana College (IL) · $58,209 Knox College · $53,850 Augustana University · $53,378 Taylor University · $53,590 Lipscomb University · $54,840 Susquehanna University · $51,155 Huntington University · $45,237 Muskingum University · $50,982 Pacific University · $53,632 Simpson College · $58,484 Franklin College · $54,017 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $45,277 University of California, Irvine · $49,736 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $61,196 San Diego State University · $47,061 Cal State Los Angeles · $38,160 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire · $50,937 University of Washington · $67,002 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College · $51,705 Morgan State University · $45,737 University of Central Florida · $58,095 University of Maryland, College Park · $66,226 Cal State Long Beach · $47,928 State University of New York at New Paltz · $48,972 Auburn University · $54,270 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $55,238 Stony Brook University · $61,512 Ohio State University · $66,317 Texas A&M University - College Station · $59,729 CUNY Brooklyn College · $52,744 Northern Illinois University · $49,054 University of Connecticut · $64,119 University of South Carolina · $56,833 Pennsylvania State University · $64,893 New Mexico State University · $47,056 Tarleton State University · $54,375 CUNY Lehman College · $56,917 CUNY York College · $40,997 Central Connecticut State University · $54,097 Georgia State University · $51,085 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $47,852 Central State University · $37,949 Northwestern Oklahoma State University · $50,274 Illinois State University · $50,019 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $56,627 University of New Mexico · $55,512 College of New Jersey · $61,926 Arkansas State University · $47,192 Southern Arkansas University · $49,453 Texas Southern University · $51,703 Appalachian State University · $51,011 Fresno State · $46,823 Kentucky State University · $34,804 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $66,872 Ball State University · $57,520 Central Michigan University · $38,695 Eastern Michigan University · $47,757 Oklahoma State University · $58,563 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $58,730 University at Albany · $54,705 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff · $45,638 Texas Tech University · $53,812 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $54,165 Texas State University · $41,117 Eastern Illinois University · $54,883 University of Colorado Boulder · $73,024 University of Alabama · $59,446 Louisiana Tech University · $43,692 Cal State Sacramento · $51,620 Georgia Southern University · $50,968 Indiana University Southeast · $46,883 Marshall University · $49,580 Minnesota State University Moorhead · $50,638 Missouri State University - Springfield · $46,744 Montclair State University · $47,397 Murray State University · $49,173 Northeastern State University · $50,345 Northwest Missouri State University · $56,815 Oakland University · $48,774 Ohio University · $61,756 Salem State University · $50,410 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $49,148 Temple University · $53,210 Troy University · $45,666 University of Central Arkansas · $50,284 University of Memphis · $51,862 University of Nebraska at Kearney · $45,862 University of Northern Colorado · $53,338 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $62,322 University of Southern Indiana · $51,823 Western Illinois University · $51,343 Miami University - Ohio · $62,693 University of Rhode Island · $48,168 University of Arkansas · $67,320 University of Idaho · $44,459 University of Mississippi · $71,006 Washington State University · $57,573 University of Houston · $50,302 Indiana University · $66,865 SUNY Brockport · $41,593 Rowan University · $50,372 Rutgers University - Newark · $56,243 University of Missouri · $70,350 Angelo State University · $45,484 Chico State · $52,519 Middle Tennessee State University · $51,689 Youngstown State University · $45,141 Coastal Carolina University · $48,569 Kennesaw State University · $53,923 University of Iowa · $59,477 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $54,511 State University of New York at Oswego · $48,898 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $43,702 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $56,626 San Jose State University · $61,928 University of Central Oklahoma · $45,035 University of North Texas · $53,390 Bowling Green State University · $47,955 Cal Poly - Humboldt · $32,625 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $54,716 Eastern Washington University · $51,538 Kent State University at Kent · $51,130 Savannah State University · $50,316 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater · $53,112 University of Nevada, Reno · $54,392 Michigan State University · $57,964 Wayne State University · $50,983 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $48,341 Arkansas Tech University · $44,419 Cal State Dominguez Hills · $46,697 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · $49,770 Iowa State University · $55,575 Northern Kentucky University · $48,066 SUNY Buffalo State University · $43,719 South Dakota State University · $48,625 University of Arizona · $57,600 University of Cincinnati · $49,493 University of Maine · $53,841 West Virginia University · $61,669 Western Kentucky University · $48,098 Wichita State University · $48,461 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $52,854 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $62,761 University of Oregon · $51,665 Arizona State University · $59,143 Cal State Northridge · $47,737 Georgia College & State University · $59,218 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $41,558 Radford University · $49,422 Northern Arizona University · $47,693 University of Kentucky · $51,793 University of Montana · $36,352 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh · $50,569 SUNY at Fredonia · $39,051 North Dakota State University · $61,038 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $56,228 University of Southern Mississippi · $55,459 University of Kansas · $69,023 Grand Valley State University · $49,840 San Francisco State University · $57,530 Utah State University · $56,440 Western Washington University · $49,867 Pennsylvania Western University · $41,390 University of South Alabama · $48,976 Kansas State University · $62,022 University of Wyoming · $57,259 Austin Peay State University · $47,128 Sam Houston State University · $55,639 Cameron University · $45,299 Langston University · $48,691 Fairfield University · $65,050 Union University · $51,043 Fordham University · $65,440 Southern Methodist University · $67,451 Texas Christian University · $65,416 Loyola Marymount University · $60,955 Azusa Pacific University · $46,661 Loyola University New Orleans · $57,520 Madonna University · $52,006 Baylor University · $64,283 Oklahoma Baptist University · $45,626 Creighton University · $56,863 High Point University · $53,483 Milligan University · $54,649 Spring Arbor University · $50,748 Biola University · $33,148 Harding University · $53,329 Missouri Baptist University · $51,592 Evangel University · $46,283 American University · $53,765 Our Lady of the Lake University · $49,315 Sacred Heart University · $63,694 The Master's University and Seminary · $37,035 Ashland University · $47,764 California Baptist University · $52,538 Brigham Young University · $55,603 Queens University of Charlotte · $52,331 Seton Hall University · $55,802 Pepperdine University · $51,558 Abilene Christian University · $51,429 Elmhurst University · $54,144 Lewis University · $52,796 Concordia College at Moorhead · $51,932 Mount Saint Mary College · $58,661 St. Ambrose University · $55,410 Chapman University · $61,060 Southern Adventist University · $53,865 Mercer University · $54,750 Loyola University Chicago · $54,711 Baldwin Wallace University · $47,219 Marquette University · $68,008 St. Bonaventure University · $48,219 Trevecca Nazarene University · $42,318 Malone University · $49,101 Gardner-Webb University · $42,493 Gonzaga University · $48,609 St. Joseph's University - New York · $51,354 University of Scranton · $46,516 Canisius University · $49,438 Siena College · $56,575 Gannon University · $52,239 Point Loma Nazarene University · $47,514 Samford University · $51,429 Oral Roberts University · $46,665 St. John's University - New York · $42,963 Wingate University · $54,423 Duquesne University · $52,462 Campbell University · $52,440 Dominican University · $52,320 DePaul University · $55,208 University of Olivet · $49,506 Palm Beach Atlantic University · $40,322 Belmont University · $63,247 North Central University · $50,357 Oklahoma Christian University · $43,835 University of Miami · $56,314 University of Richmond · $61,767 Hampton University · $55,814 Syracuse University · $71,321 University of Tampa · $56,338 George Washington University · $79,103 Hofstra University · $55,423 Webster University · $48,732 Quinnipiac University · $64,421 Drake University · $60,478 Elon University · $64,346 Florida Institute of Technology · $58,998 Bradley University · $54,831 Rochester Institute of Technology · $70,770 Long Island University · $42,702 Roger Williams University · $60,074 Suffolk University · $52,485 University of La Verne · $50,712 Ithaca College · $56,752 Pace University · $59,182 Marietta College · $53,906 Butler University · $54,179 Husson University · $42,051 Point Park University · $44,559 Rider University · $54,771 Widener University · $51,770 University of Denver · $58,034 Washington & Lee University · $79,354 University of Florida · $58,179 University of Georgia · $63,028 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $58,785 University of Texas at Austin · $61,251 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $68,909 Northwestern University · $50,393 University of Southern California · $64,540 Boston University · $68,705 Northeastern University · $58,763 Lehigh University · $79,467 Arts: mean $50,688 Work College: mean $43,173 Liberal Arts: mean $52,452 Public University: mean $52,337 Religious University: mean $52,531 Private University: mean $57,031 Liberal Arts 1–15: mean $79,354 Public University 1–15: mean $62,030 Private University 1–30: mean $64,374 All colleges: p10 $44,594 All colleges: p90 $63,303
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Journalism 325 9,739 35% / 65% 2% $53,497 95%
Journalism 289 8,175 35% / 65% 2% $52,984 95%
Broadcast Journalism 41 547 50% / 50% 2% $50,894 96%
Journalism and Mass Communication 3 193 30% / 70% 3% $65,314 99%
Agricultural Communication/Journalism 7 141 6% / 94% 0% $58,279 97%
Sports Journalism 1 130 78% / 22% 0% $57,314 100%
Digital Journalism 3 94 29% / 71% 1% $58,103 94%
Digital and Broadcast Journalism 1 93 38% / 62% 3% $62,497 93%
Agricultural Communications and Journalism 1 72 4% / 96% 0% $59,947 95%
Multimedia Journalism 1 72 26% / 74% 1% $53,379 95%
Journalism and Design 1 66 33% / 67% 11% $49,826 90%
Photojournalism 10 49 37% / 63% 2% $55,089 94%
Journalism and Public Interest Communication 1 43 14% / 86% 5% $67,002 97%
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs 7 42 29% / 71% 0% $54,551 96%
Journalism and Media Studies 1 11 36% / 64% 0% $52,744 94%
Journalism and New Media 1 9 33% / 67% 22% $52,538 95%
Cultural Journalism 1 2 100% / 0% 0%