Boston University: Journalism

Master's degree · CIP 09.04 · No credentials fully online · Boston, MA

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $53,780 one year after completing and $82,549 four years after. Median debt was not published. Nationally, graduates of master's degree programs in this field earned a median of $56,006 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$53,780
23 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$82,549
Verified data
Median federal debt
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Debt to first-year earnings
Data unavailable
Data unavailable

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$53,780$56,006
Median earnings 4 years after completion$82,549$69,034
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)Suppressed for privacyData unavailable Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)Data unavailable
Graduates in the most recent year181,187 across 92 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Communications teachers, postsecondary$78,580+2.1%
Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys$47,340-7.6%
News analysts, reporters, and journalists$62,200-5.9%
Editors$77,920-1.1%
Writers and authors$76,910-0.3%
Photographers$44,660-0.7%
Film and video editors$75,420+3.7%
Proofreaders and copy markers$51,120-0.9%
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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
University of Kansas
KS · Public
$74,988Data unavailable
St Bonaventure University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$71,120Data unavailable
Kent State University at Kent
OH · Public
$66,756Data unavailable
New York University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$66,213Data unavailable
University of Iowa
IA · Public
$65,566Data unavailable
University of Georgia
GA · Public
$64,036Data unavailable
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
NE · Public
$63,102Data unavailable
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private, nonprofit
$61,586Data unavailable
American University
DC · Private, nonprofit
$61,469Data unavailable
Northwestern University
IL · Private, nonprofit
$61,000Data unavailable

See all Journalism programs and national outcomes

Model this program's ROI

Plug this program's published earnings and debt into the ROI calculator, then add your own tuition, aid, and current salary.

Open in the ROI calculator
Boston University Journalism (Master's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence