Journalism: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 09.04. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 744 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 71 | 169 | $41,024 | $55,137 | $25,125 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 137 | 566 | $28,005 | $41,496 | $11,500 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 415 | 9,354 | $41,953 | $56,278 | $20,628 154 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 92 | 1,187 | $56,006 | $69,034 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 9 | 19 | Data unavailable | $86,616 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 19 | 39 | $54,898 | $62,918 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $42,179 | $63,138 | $25,125 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $42,179 | $63,138 | $25,125 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga Community College NY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $19,346 | $45,638 | $11,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $65,957 | $81,935 | $23,250 |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $53,658 | $81,927 | $20,500 |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 109 graduates measured | $53,114 | $68,128 | $16,750 |
| Seton Hall University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $52,380 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 165 graduates measured | $52,252 | $75,967 | $19,500 |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $52,095 | Data unavailable | $23,000 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 58 graduates measured | $51,919 | $79,776 | $15,500 |
| Hofstra University NY · Private, nonprofit · 65 graduates measured | $50,536 | $61,609 | $25,000 |
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $50,500 | $71,466 | $15,875 |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 71 graduates measured | $50,406 | $66,635 | $20,500 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $50,132 | $70,404 | $23,250 |
| Baylor University TX · Private, nonprofit · 68 graduates measured | $49,805 | $63,622 | $19,374 |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $49,599 | $72,475 | $27,000 |
| The College of New Jersey NJ · Public · 30 graduates measured | $49,535 | $67,038 | Data unavailable |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $49,237 | $50,338 | $14,250 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas KS · Public · 21 graduates measured | $74,988 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| St Bonaventure University NY · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $71,120 | $82,191 | Data unavailable |
| Kent State University at Kent OH · Public · 18 graduates measured | $66,756 | $83,464 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $66,213 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 41 graduates measured | $65,566 | $84,165 | Data unavailable |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 61 graduates measured | $64,036 | $70,926 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE · Public · 27 graduates measured | $63,102 | $73,130 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 215 graduates measured | $61,586 | $78,880 | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $61,469 | $67,819 | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $61,000 | $70,715 | Data unavailable |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia SC · Public · 24 graduates measured | $60,626 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 38 graduates measured | $59,096 | $77,057 | Data unavailable |
| University of Memphis TN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $58,351 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 39 graduates measured | $56,908 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 56 graduates measured | $55,275 | $72,390 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine College of Art & Design ME · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $49,970 | $63,479 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Journalism
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communications teachers, postsecondary | $78,580 | +2.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys | $47,340 | -7.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | $62,200 | -5.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Writers and authors | $76,910 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Photographers | $44,660 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Film and video editors | $75,420 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Proofreaders and copy markers | $51,120 | -0.9% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (7)
- 09.0401 Journalism
- 09.0402 Broadcast Journalism
- 09.0404 Photojournalism
- 09.0405 Business and Economic Journalism
- 09.0406 Cultural Journalism
- 09.0407 Science/Health/Environmental Journalism
- 09.0499 Journalism, Other