Grad school ยท Communication and journalism
Journalism graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
65 colleges award master's degrees in journalism. Graduates of the typical program earned $58,351 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $34,692 in federal loans taken at the school.
Official field: Journalism. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 65 | $58,351 | $34,692 |
| Doctoral | 5 | n/a | n/a |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in journalism
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC | 16 | n/a | $90,356 | n/a |
| George Washington UniversityWashington, DC | 5 | n/a | $89,072 | n/a |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA | 18 | $65,566 | $84,165 | n/a |
| Kent State University at KentKent, OH | 20 | $66,756 | $83,464 | n/a |
| Boston UniversityBoston, MA | 18 | $53,780 | $82,549 | $41,000 |
| St Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, NY | 8 | $71,120 | $82,191 | n/a |
| Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY | 230 | $61,586 | $78,880 | $61,500 |
| University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO | 38 | $59,096 | $77,057 | $21,662 |
| University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | 52 | $52,231 | $76,630 | $45,476 |
| Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY | 8 | n/a | $74,266 | n/a |
| University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE | 13 | $63,102 | $73,130 | n/a |
| Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ | 43 | $55,275 | $72,390 | $32,986 |
| University of GeorgiaAthens, GA | 74 | $64,036 | $70,926 | $20,617 |
| University of South FloridaTampa, FL | 11 | n/a | $69,612 | n/a |
| American UniversityWashington, DC | 17 | $61,469 | $67,819 | n/a |
| Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY | 55 | $52,419 | $62,512 | $48,480 |
| Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL | 41 | $43,296 | $53,227 | $41,000 |
| DePaul UniversityChicago, IL | 0 | $47,931 | $51,338 | n/a |
| Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA | 6 | n/a | $49,772 | n/a |
| University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, IL | 5 | n/a | $49,368 | n/a |
| Emerson CollegeBoston, MA | 12 | n/a | $48,294 | n/a |
| University of KansasLawrence, KS | 20 | $74,988 | n/a | n/a |
| New York UniversityNew York, NY | 30 | $66,213 | n/a | $92,897 |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC | 36 | $60,626 | n/a | $20,500 |
| University of MemphisMemphis, TN | 16 | $58,351 | n/a | n/a |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 20 | $56,908 | n/a | $30,634 |
| University of North TexasDenton, TX | 16 | $53,015 | n/a | n/a |
| Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT | 19 | $51,088 | n/a | $22,750 |
| The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL | 33 | $48,872 | n/a | $20,500 |
| University of OregonEugene, OR | 3 | $37,968 | n/a | n/a |
| Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro, AR | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Baylor UniversityWaco, TX | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | 28 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MD | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, OH | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Point Park UniversityPittsburgh, PA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| School of the Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, IL | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of MontanaMissoula, MT | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Universidad del Sagrado CorazonSanturce, PR | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of ArizonaTucson, AZ | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle Rock, AR | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of MississippiUniversity, MS | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 67 | n/a | n/a | $36,399 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in journalism
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, OH | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do journalism graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $58,351 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do journalism graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $34,692 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Undergraduate: Journalism major
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.