Which state pays journalism bachelor's graduates the most?

Massachusetts, where the median program pays its graduates $39,703 in their first year, the highest of 10 state rankings. Florida is next, at $38,164.

Which journalism bachelor's program pays the most?

George Washington University in District of Columbia reports the highest first-year pay of the 170 programs ranked here, $52,015. Its median federal debt is $25,000.

How much debt do journalism bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $24,500 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 67% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Journalism (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

170 programs report first-year pay
10 state rankings
Bachelor's in Journalism

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median journalism bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $34,515 in their first year and $53,282 five years after. Massachusetts has the highest state median ($39,703), and California the lowest ($31,445). The median program leaves its graduates with $24,500 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$34,515Across 170 programs

Median pay after 5 years$53,282Across 159 programs

Median federal debt$24,500Across 162 programs

Debt-to-earnings67%Across 158 programs

All 170 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$52,015	Not adjusted	$81,856	$25,000	48%
2	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$51,855	Not adjusted	$62,784	$24,313	47%
3	Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	$50,426	Not adjusted	$72,140	$15,333	30%
4	Cal Poly SLOSan Luis Obispo, CA · public	$48,637	$43,928	$67,804	$19,333	40%
5	University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	$46,893	$44,677	$70,492	$23,250	50%
6	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$46,652	$47,188	$54,592	$14,953	32%
7	Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · private nonprofit	$45,256	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,500	43%
8	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$44,651	$40,328	$73,113	$16,250	36%
9	American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$44,387	Not adjusted	$55,636	$25,000	56%
10	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$43,958	Not adjusted	$68,004	$21,400	49%
11	University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	$43,191	Not adjusted	$62,205	$22,811	53%
12	University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA · private nonprofit	$43,157	Not adjusted	Not reported	$15,897	37%
13	Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE · private nonprofit	$43,139	Not adjusted	$51,720	$27,000	63%
14	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$42,857	Not adjusted	$73,406	$24,813	58%
15	Fordham UniversityBronx, NY · private nonprofit	$42,769	$39,630	Not reported	$26,324	62%
16	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$42,605	$42,319	$62,711	$19,937	47%
17	Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA · private nonprofit	$42,536	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
18	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$42,450	$43,044	$67,369	$20,500	48%
19	TCNJEwing, NJ · public	$42,217	$38,801	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
20	Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	$41,997	$37,931	$37,551	$27,000	64%
21	Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA · private nonprofit	$41,913	Not adjusted	$57,439	Not reported	Not reported
22	Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit	$41,645	$37,613	$69,171	$22,500	54%
23	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$41,431	$41,907	$55,166	$16,710	40%
24	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$41,378	Not adjusted	$61,426	$16,000	39%
25	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$41,159	Not adjusted	$45,711	$27,000	66%
26	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$40,945	$39,593	Not reported	$22,644	55%
27	UW-MadisonMadison, WI · public	$40,942	Not adjusted	$68,253	$23,250	57%
28	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$40,757	Not adjusted	$72,696	$27,000	66%
29	Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL · public	$40,575	$40,592	$46,940	$25,500	63%
30	SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$40,502	Not adjusted	$67,878	$19,448	48%
31	Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT · private nonprofit	$40,184	Not adjusted	$67,047	$24,500	61%
32	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$39,992	Not adjusted	$65,840	$19,500	49%
33	Emerson CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$39,703	Not adjusted	$61,538	$24,580	62%
34	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$39,592	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
35	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$39,347	$44,834	$52,095	$23,250	59%
36	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$39,336	$40,529	$61,070	$21,500	55%
37	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$38,762	Not adjusted	$51,441	$26,000	67%
38	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$38,700	Not adjusted	$65,829	$26,000	67%
39	Georgia CollegeMilledgeville, GA · public	$38,603	$40,089	$55,713	$25,000	65%
40	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$38,540	$41,295	$46,060	$22,837	59%
41	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$38,357	$43,184	$51,515	$20,500	53%
42	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$38,354	Not adjusted	$60,034	$21,500	56%
43	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$38,302	$38,318	$55,384	$23,000	60%
44	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$38,246	$41,225	$58,976	$24,208	63%
45	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$38,164	$36,904	$58,392	$17,054	45%
46	UNTDenton, TX · public	$38,118	$39,274	$53,717	$19,877	52%
47	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · public	$37,875	Not adjusted	$49,716	$26,899	71%
48	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$37,644	$36,529	$56,304	$24,500	65%
49	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$37,484	$41,617	$54,635	$21,500	57%
50	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$37,388	$37,404	$55,947	$24,334	65%
51	Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA · public	$37,263	$38,190	$44,882	$26,000	70%
52	Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY · private nonprofit	$37,241	Not adjusted	$60,154	$25,000	67%
53	Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, LA · private nonprofit	$37,206	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	73%
54	UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	$37,091	$35,072	$58,874	$25,447	69%
55	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$36,926	$40,957	$47,621	$26,000	70%
56	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$36,912	$38,363	$58,101	$24,985	68%
57	Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$36,767	Not adjusted	$50,880	$27,000	73%
58	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$36,744	$41,829	$57,281	$24,250	66%
59	University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, NE · public	$36,703	$40,734	$41,276	$22,602	62%
60	Illinois StateNormal, IL · public	$36,643	$36,658	$48,505	$23,500	64%
61	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$36,636	$38,046	$61,753	$21,120	58%
62	University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · public	$36,521	$36,275	$59,230	$20,520	56%
63	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$36,468	Not adjusted	$61,946	$25,000	69%
64	FAMUTallahassee, FL · public	$36,356	$35,156	$44,806	$27,393	75%
65	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$36,352	$35,275	$55,367	$22,500	62%
66	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$36,303	$36,318	$57,331	$22,300	61%
67	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$36,273	$33,896	Not reported	$22,506	62%
68	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$36,226	$37,324	$49,505	$21,500	59%
69	University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorage, AK · public	$36,200	$35,366	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
70	Southern Connecticut StateNew Haven, CT · public	$36,153	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,047	58%
71	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$36,139	$38,407	$50,223	$26,000	72%
72	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$36,109	$36,117	$53,852	$19,500	54%
73	St. John's UniversityQueens, NY · private nonprofit	$36,020	$33,376	$46,630	$26,000	72%
74	University of MontanaMissoula, MT · public	$35,924	$37,957	$35,865	$26,375	73%
75	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$35,675	$36,757	$61,982	$23,959	67%
76	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$35,668	$32,215	$56,247	$18,750	53%
77	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$35,545	$36,943	$49,213	$26,000	73%
78	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$35,509	Not adjusted	$56,575	$25,000	70%
79	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$35,389	Not adjusted	$61,775	$24,225	68%
80	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$35,050	$38,876	$43,572	$25,500	73%
81	Point Park UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$34,887	Not adjusted	$44,514	$27,000	77%
82	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$34,829	$37,542	Not reported	$26,250	75%
83	Canisius UniversityBuffalo, NY · private nonprofit	$34,766	$32,214	Not reported	$25,000	72%
84	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$34,743	Not adjusted	$57,097	$25,907	75%
85	Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	$34,577	$33,372	Not reported	$26,909	78%
86	Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$34,453	Not adjusted	$59,535	$25,000	73%
87	North Greenville UniversityTigerville, SC · private nonprofit	$34,293	$36,580	$36,955	Not reported	Not reported
88	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$34,119	$31,883	$52,942	$18,075	53%
89	Elon UniversityElon, NC · private nonprofit	$34,105	Not adjusted	$62,026	$19,875	58%
90	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$34,075	Not adjusted	$59,325	$24,250	71%
91	St Bonaventure UniversitySaint Bonaventure, NY · private nonprofit	$34,045	Not adjusted	$51,471	$27,000	79%
92	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$34,038	$31,283	$53,282	$24,238	71%
93	CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	$34,022	$33,014	$75,662	$15,750	46%
94	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$33,798	$35,099	$49,630	$27,000	80%
95	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$33,710	Not adjusted	$48,399	$18,062	54%
96	Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$33,628	$31,797	Not reported	$27,000	80%
97	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$33,525	$32,435	$54,179	$24,750	74%
98	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$33,255	$34,263	$40,380	$20,847	63%
99	University of IdahoMoscow, ID · public	$33,253	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
100	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$33,250	$31,071	$73,747	$13,654	41%
101	SUNY BrockportBrockport, NY · public	$33,085	$30,657	$42,485	$24,627	74%
102	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$32,840	Not adjusted	$61,520	$27,000	82%
103	New Mexico StateLas Cruces, NM · public	$32,825	Not adjusted	$42,400	$18,250	56%
104	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$32,820	$35,724	$48,019	$26,875	82%
105	Mercer UniversityMacon, GA · private nonprofit	$32,807	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	79%
106	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$32,553	$36,129	$51,054	$21,000	65%
107	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$32,523	$29,891	$62,307	$26,000	80%
108	University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, AZ · public	$32,459	Not adjusted	$43,094	$43,250	133%
109	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$32,456	$30,074	$43,968	$23,125	71%
110	University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM · public	$32,423	$35,161	$51,500	$13,606	42%
111	Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA · public	$32,294	$33,098	$54,429	$26,000	81%
112	Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, AR · public	$32,183	$37,019	$39,170	$23,250	72%
113	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$32,082	$34,921	$51,252	$22,849	71%
114	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$31,955	$34,444	$63,824	$23,346	73%
115	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$31,911	$36,706	$44,341	$26,500	83%
116	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$31,845	$33,097	$48,222	$30,735	97%
117	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$31,788	$28,710	$65,760	$16,875	53%
118	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$31,753	$31,766	$47,283	$25,750	81%
119	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$31,398	$33,642	$54,057	$25,675	82%
120	Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$31,369	$31,382	$49,778	$26,000	83%
121	UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	$31,102	$28,091	Not reported	$16,900	54%
122	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$31,068	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,750	73%
123	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$30,959	$31,729	$54,063	$26,000	84%
124	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$30,925	$33,334	$48,848	$25,000	81%
125	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$30,792	$31,977	Not reported	$24,700	80%
126	Middle Tennessee StateMurfreesboro, TN · public	$30,659	$33,372	Not reported	$20,500	67%
127	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$30,644	$27,677	$56,697	$20,000	65%
128	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$30,564	$27,605	$53,354	$15,480	51%
129	Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL · private nonprofit	$30,311	Not adjusted	$49,222	$18,120	60%
130	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$30,269	$27,338	Not reported	$14,998	50%
131	University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	$30,216	$29,321	$53,764	$21,750	72%
132	Angelo StateSan Angelo, TX · public	$30,008	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
133	Cal Poly HumboldtArcata, CA · public	$29,686	$26,812	$36,866	$22,300	75%
134	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$29,647	$32,883	$44,790	$26,122	88%
135	SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	$29,628	$27,453	$52,654	$20,500	69%
136	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$29,622	$30,520	Not reported	$23,250	78%
137	University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS · public	$29,591	$34,031	$48,425	$26,000	88%
138	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$28,844	$26,051	$54,294	$15,000	52%
139	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$28,704	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	94%
140	University at AlbanyAlbany, NY · public	$28,553	$26,457	$56,664	$25,000	88%
141	SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY · public	$28,485	Not adjusted	$39,802	Not reported	Not reported
142	Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	$28,416	$29,510	$50,652	$27,000	95%
143	Hampton UniversityHampton, VA · private nonprofit	$28,324	Not adjusted	$56,384	$26,250	93%
144	Central StateWilberforce, OH · public	$28,306	Not adjusted	$36,745	$32,125	113%
145	University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	$28,139	$32,033	$41,110	$26,000	92%
146	Morgan StateBaltimore, MD · public	$28,088	$26,761	$47,678	$30,896	110%
147	Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · private nonprofit	$27,863	$26,943	Not reported	$25,750	92%
148	Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · public	$27,620	$28,307	$41,348	Not reported	Not reported
149	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$27,474	$27,858	Not reported	$26,351	96%
150	University of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GA · public	$27,268	$28,318	$48,565	$27,000	99%
151	University of Arkansas at Pine BluffPine Bluff, AR · public	$27,259	Not adjusted	Not reported	$28,807	106%
152	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$27,116	$28,747	$48,078	$21,000	77%
153	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$26,591	$27,636	$51,442	$29,000	109%
154	Lincoln University (Missouri)Jefferson City, MO · public	$26,356	Not adjusted	Not reported	$34,532	131%
155	Lehman CollegeBronx, NY · public	$26,319	$24,387	$61,643	$12,375	47%
156	California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	$26,026	$23,506	Not reported	$26,869	103%
157	Radford UniversityRadford, VA · public	$25,675	$25,395	$48,517	$26,135	102%
158	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$25,575	$23,505	Not reported	$19,500	76%
159	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$25,033	$26,017	$38,638	$27,000	108%
160	Rust CollegeHolly Springs, MS · private nonprofit	$24,977	Not adjusted	$35,380	$31,000	124%
161	CUNY York CollegeJamaica, NY · public	$24,535	$22,734	$44,226	Not reported	Not reported
162	Savannah StateSavannah, GA · public	$24,310	$25,246	$48,748	$33,000	136%
163	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$24,026	$23,189	$66,259	$23,250	97%
164	Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV · public	$23,169	$25,888	$47,330	$26,662	115%
165	Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$23,120	$21,423	$57,398	$10,290	45%
166	Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · public	$22,839	$21,163	$56,533	$13,717	60%
167	Widener UniversityChester, PA · private nonprofit	$22,058	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
168	SUNY Purchase CollegePurchase, NY · public	$22,011	$20,395	$48,662	$23,947	109%
169	Louisiana Tech UniversityRuston, LA · public	$21,087	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	119%
170	Texas Southern UniversityHouston, TX · public	$18,301	$18,856	$51,133	$34,750	190%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 114 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 56, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

12 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

Journalism (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's journalism bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Massachusetts	5	$39,703	$24,813
2	Florida	5	$38,164	$22,644
3	Illinois	8	$37,016	$23,917
4	Texas	9	$35,675	$21,500
5	Pennsylvania	8	$33,591	$26,000
6	Ohio	7	$32,840	$26,250
7	New York	17	$32,456	$25,000
8	Michigan	5	$31,845	$27,000
9	Georgia	8	$31,800	$26,500
10	California	14	$31,445	$18,750

Programs in 34 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Brooklyn College, NY$10,290
Lehman College, NY$12,375
Baruch College, NY$13,717
San Diego State, CA$14,998
Cal State Long Beach, CA$15,000
Northwestern University, IL$15,333
CSUN, CA$15,480
University of Miami, FL$16,000
USC, CA$16,250
San Francisco State, CA$16,875

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 80 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to journalism, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Editors

$77,920

Median pay in the US. 91,690 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $41,250Top 10%: $153,700

Photographers

$44,660

Median pay in the US. 51,760 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $30,820Top 10%: $91,810

Writers and Authors

$76,910

Median pay in the US. 47,940 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $44,310Top 10%: $139,870

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

$62,200

Median pay in the US. 39,250 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $36,240Top 10%: $144,140

Common questions

The median journalism bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $34,515 in their first year and $53,282 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024