Northwestern University: Journalism

Bachelor's degree · CIP 09.04 · No credentials fully online · Evanston, IL

The Department of Education did not publish earnings for this program, usually because too few graduates were in the measured cohorts. Median debt was not published. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $41,953 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Median earnings, 4 years
$80,258
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 completionSuppressed for privacy$41,953
Median earnings 4 years after completion$80,258$56,278
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)Suppressed for privacy$20,628 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)Data unavailable
Graduates in the most recent year09,354 across 415 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
Lehigh University
PA · Private, nonprofit
$65,957$23,250
George Washington University
DC · Private, nonprofit
$53,658$20,500
University of Maryland-College Park
MD · Public
$53,114$16,750
Seton Hall University
NJ · Private, nonprofit
$52,380Data unavailable
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI · Public
$52,252$19,500
Southern Methodist University
TX · Private, nonprofit
$52,095$23,000
University of Southern California
CA · Private, nonprofit
$51,919$15,500
Hofstra University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$50,536$25,000
University of Miami
FL · Private, nonprofit
$50,500$15,875
American University
DC · Private, nonprofit
$50,406$20,500

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Northwestern University Journalism (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence