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Best Journalism Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

178 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Journalism, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Journalism graduate earns $34,417/yr across 178 schools.

What do Journalism graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why Cal Poly's "Learn by Doing" Wins in Journalism

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo secures the #1 spot not because it's in a major media market, but because its "learn by doing" philosophy produces graduates who are immediately useful. In a field being reshaped by AI, employers prioritize skills over prestige. Cal Poly's program emphasizes hands-on production, meaning graduates leave with a portfolio of real work, not just theory. This practical focus explains their high early-career earnings of $48,637 per year, proving that newsrooms and media companies will pay for talent that can contribute from day one.

The Price of Prestige: Where Are the Famous J-Schools?

You might notice that household names like Northwestern, Columbia, and NYU are absent from our top 20. This isn't an oversight; it's a warning about cost. While Northwestern boasts the best debt-to-earnings ratio in our analysis, its high private tuition suppresses its overall ROI score. For a career with a typical starting salary between $35k and $50k, taking on six figures of debt is a massive financial risk. Our rankings show that a high-value degree from a public university like the University of Maryland (#2) often provides a much safer pathway to a sustainable career.

The Ohio Anomaly: How Regional Publics Outrank Media Hubs

The most surprising pattern is the dominance of Ohio University's regional campuses, which occupy five spots in our top 12. These schools aren't in major media centers, yet they deliver exceptional value. Their high rankings are a direct result of a powerful formula: very low four-year tuition (around $24,712) paired with respectable regional earnings ($38,246/yr). This creates a stellar 22.9x ROI, demonstrating that for journalism, a low-cost public education can be a much smarter financial bet than an expensive degree in a coastal city.

AI Won't Steal Your Job, But It Is Your New Intern

Every journalism program on our list faces high AI exposure (avg. 61%) for a reason. AI is already automating the grunt work: transcribing interviews, drafting basic summaries, and performing first-pass copy edits. This means the traditional entry-level job is vanishing. Your value as a 2026 graduate will not be in writing clean copy—it will be in directing AI tools, conducting original on-the-ground reporting that an algorithm can't, and exercising the sophisticated editorial judgment needed to separate truth from algorithm-generated noise.

Programs Ranked
178
Avg Earnings
$34,417/yr
Avg DW Score
34/100
AI Risk
Very High
61% task exposure
Top Institutions

Leading the field for Journalism

The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 178 programs below.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 56
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
$48,6371-yr earnings
14.3xROI multiple
Very HighAI risk
University of Maryland-College Park
55
MD · #2
$46,893/yr · 14.3x ROI
Brigham Young University
54
UT · #3
$46,652/yr · 20.0x ROI
University of Wisconsin-Madison
51
WI · #4
$40,942/yr · 14.2x ROI
The Ranking Matrix

All Journalism Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

Sort by
# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
56
49–57
 $48,637/yr 14.3x
2 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
55
49–57
 $46,893/yr 14.3x
3 Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit
54
47–55
 $46,652/yr 20.0x
4 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
51
45–52
 $40,942/yr 14.2x
5 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
50
44–50
 $38,164/yr 21.9x
6 University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · Public
50
43–51
 $43,191/yr 12.3x
7 University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Public
50
44–51
 $43,958/yr 11.0x
8 Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH · Public
50
45–51
 $38,246/yr 22.9x
9 Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH · Public
50
45–51
 $38,246/yr 22.9x
10 Ohio University-Southern Campus
Ironton, OH · Public
50
45–51
 $38,246/yr 22.9x
11 Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH · Public
50
45–51
 $38,246/yr 22.9x
12 Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH · Public
50
45–51
 $38,246/yr 22.9x
13 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
49
43–50
 $42,605/yr 12.0x
14 Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN · Public
49
43–50
 $39,992/yr 13.0x
15 Utah State University
Logan, UT · Public
48
41–49
 $41,431/yr 13.9x
16 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
47
42–48
 $38,354/yr 14.4x
17 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
47
41–48
 $42,450/yr 9.2x
18 Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, GA · Public
46
40–47
 $38,603/yr 14.5x
19 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
46
41–47
 $39,336/yr 12.1x
20 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public
45
42–46
 $31,788/yr 21.1x
21 University of Georgia
Athens, GA · Public
45
40–45
 $36,636/yr 12.8x
22 University of Mississippi
University, MS · Public
45
41–46
 $35,389/yr 15.4x
23 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
45
41–45
 $33,250/yr 13.6x
24 California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · Public
44
40–45
 $35,668/yr 16.4x
25 George Washington University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit
44
37–45
 $52,015/yr 2.1x
26 University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
44
38–45
 $40,945/yr 15.1x
27 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
44
39–45
 $36,744/yr 13.9x
28 University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO · Public
43
39–43
 $34,022/yr 10.5x
29 Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO · Public
43
38–44
 $37,644/yr 12.1x
30 West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public
43
39–43
 $34,075/yr 14.4x
31 Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA · Public
42
38–42
 $33,798/yr 20.0x
32 Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
42
37–43
 $39,347/yr 11.4x
33 Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public
42
37–42
 $37,484/yr 11.5x
34 University of Nevada-Reno
Reno, NV · Public
42
38–43
 $36,109/yr 14.0x
35 Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH · Public
42
37–43
 $38,246/yr 9.7x
36 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
41
36–41
 $36,521/yr 9.9x
37 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
41
37–42
 $36,356/yr 18.4x
38 University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Public
41
36–41
 $34,743/yr 12.0x
39 University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public
41
36–42
 $38,118/yr 11.0x
40 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater, WI · Public
41
36–42
 $36,139/yr 14.2x
41 The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL · Public
40
35–40
 $35,509/yr 10.9x
42 California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public
40
37–41
 $30,644/yr 17.6x
43 Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Public
40
35–40
 $34,119/yr 13.3x
44 Auburn University
Auburn, AL · Public
39
33–39
 $38,357/yr 9.3x
45 California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public
39
36–39
 $30,564/yr 17.8x
46 Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public
39
34–39
 $36,352/yr 9.7x
47 Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit
39
32–40
 $50,426/yr 1.7x
48 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public
39
34–39
 $36,912/yr 8.1x
49 University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Albuquerque, NM · Public
39
35–39
 $32,423/yr 14.9x
50 CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY · Public
39
37–40
 $26,319/yr 19.8x
51 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
39
36–40
 $31,955/yr 11.4x
52 University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public
39
33–40
 $38,762/yr 9.1x
53 University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
39
34–39
 $36,226/yr 11.7x
54 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public
38
36–39
 $28,844/yr 18.4x
55 Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Public
38
32–38
 $38,540/yr 10.0x
56 University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public
38
33–39
 $37,091/yr 7.5x
57 University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK · Public
37
32–37
 $36,200/yr 11.0x
58 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
37
33–38
 $36,303/yr 8.0x
59 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL · Public
37
31–38
 $40,575/yr 7.9x
60 The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ · Public
37
31–38
 $42,217/yr 4.6x
61 University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit
36
29–37
 $44,651/yr 1.7x
62 Ball State University
Muncie, IN · Public
36
32–36
 $31,398/yr 11.6x
63 Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
36
29–37
 $42,857/yr 1.8x
64 University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE · Public
36
31–36
 $36,703/yr 11.4x
65 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE · Public
36
32–36
 $32,553/yr 11.6x
66 Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
36
32–36
 $32,523/yr 8.0x
67 Rutgers University-Newark
Newark, NJ · Public
36
32–36
 $32,523/yr 8.4x
68 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public
36
34–36
 $22,839/yr 17.9x
69 CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY · Public
36
34–37
 $23,120/yr 18.3x
70 State University of New York at New Paltz
New Paltz, NY · Public
36
33–36
 $29,628/yr 14.4x
71 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH · Public
36
30–37
 $41,159/yr 7.1x
72 University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA · Public
35
33–36
 $27,268/yr 19.3x
73 Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
35
28–36
 $51,855/yr 1.5x
74 University at Albany
Albany, NY · Public
35
33–35
 $28,553/yr 12.6x
75 Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH · Public
35
31–36
 $32,840/yr 7.6x
76 Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
Indiana, PA · Public
35
30–35
 $37,263/yr 8.9x
77 University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI · Public
35
29–35
 $37,875/yr 6.6x
78 Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT · Private nonprofit
34
28–34
 $40,184/yr 2.2x
79 Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA · Public
34
31–34
 $28,416/yr 13.9x
80 Savannah State University
Savannah, GA · Public
34
32–35
 $24,310/yr 21.2x
81 University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · Public
34
29–35
 $36,926/yr 8.0x
82 Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit
34
28–35
 $40,757/yr 1.9x
83 Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit
34
28–35
 $45,256/yr 0.8x
84 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA · Public
34
30–34
 $32,294/yr 9.0x
85 University of Memphis
Memphis, TN · Public
34
30–34
 $32,820/yr 10.6x
86 Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit
34
29–35
 $39,592/yr 3.7x
87 Chapman University
Orange, CA · Private nonprofit
33
27–34
 $41,645/yr 1.8x
88 University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO · Public
33
30–33
 $30,216/yr 10.2x
89 Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT · Public
33
28–33
 $36,153/yr 6.0x
90 Illinois State University
Normal, IL · Public
33
28–34
 $36,643/yr 6.6x
91 Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI · Public
33
28–34
 $35,545/yr 7.4x
92 Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ · Public
33
29–34
 $34,038/yr 7.5x
93 New Mexico State University-Main Campus
Las Cruces, NM · Public
33
29–33
 $32,825/yr 12.0x
94 Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public
33
30–33
 $27,116/yr 14.9x
95 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR · Public
33
29–34
 $33,525/yr 7.6x
96 University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA · Private nonprofit
33
26–34
 $43,157/yr 0.7x
97 Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public
33
28–33
 $36,273/yr 6.0x
98 Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI · Private nonprofit
33
28–34
 $38,700/yr 2.4x
99 Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA · Public
33
30–33
 $30,792/yr 12.3x
100 Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ · Public
32
28–33
 $33,710/yr 8.6x
101 Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA · Private nonprofit
32
26–33
 $42,536/yr 0.6x
102 University of Idaho
Moscow, ID · Public
32
28–32
 $33,253/yr 8.4x
103 Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY · Public
32
27–32
 $35,050/yr 8.5x
104 Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD · Public
32
30–32
 $28,088/yr 13.7x
105 University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS · Public
32
29–32
 $29,591/yr 11.6x
106 The University of Montana
Missoula, MT · Public
32
27–32
 $35,924/yr 10.0x
107 Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private nonprofit
32
26–34
 $42,769/yr 0.7x
108 SUNY Brockport
Brockport, NY · Public
32
29–33
 $33,085/yr 11.2x
109 SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY · Public
32
29–33
 $32,456/yr 11.4x
110 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
32
28–32
 $32,082/yr 8.5x
111 Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT · Public
31
27–32
 $34,577/yr 5.9x
112 American University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit
31
24–32
 $44,387/yr 1.5x
113 Drake University
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit
31
25–32
 $41,913/yr 1.9x
114 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Public
31
27–32
 $34,829/yr 5.4x
115 Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit
31
25–32
 $40,502/yr 1.6x
116 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public
31
29–32
 $24,026/yr 8.5x
117 University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public
31
29–32
 $24,026/yr 8.5x
118 University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public
31
29–32
 $24,026/yr 8.5x
119 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public
31
29–32
 $24,026/yr 8.5x
120 Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR · Public
30
26–30
 $32,183/yr 10.5x
121 University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR · Public
30
27–31
 $31,911/yr 10.0x
122 University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private nonprofit
30
24–31
 $41,378/yr 1.6x
123 Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public
30
26–30
 $31,753/yr 8.3x
124 Emerson College
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
30
24–30
 $39,703/yr 1.8x
125 Creighton University
Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit
30
24–31
 $43,139/yr 1.8x
126 Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH · Public
30
26–30
 $30,925/yr 8.5x
127 Texas Southern University
Houston, TX · Public
30
27–30
 $18,301/yr 12.9x
128 University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public
29
28–30
 $24,026/yr 7.1x
129 CUNY York College
Jamaica, NY · Public
29
27–29
 $24,535/yr 14.0x
130 SUNY at Purchase College
Purchase, NY · Public
29
27–30
 $22,011/yr 12.6x
131 San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public
28
26–29
 $30,269/yr 8.1x
132 DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
28
23–28
 $37,388/yr 2.1x
133 Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY · Public
28
25–28
 $29,647/yr 9.3x
134 Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit
28
23–29
 $37,206/yr 1.0x
135 Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI · Public
28
25–29
 $31,845/yr 6.8x
136 Elon University
Elon, NC · Private nonprofit
28
24–28
 $34,105/yr 2.5x
137 Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK · Public
28
25–28
 $31,068/yr 6.6x
138 Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · Public
28
25–28
 $30,959/yr 5.1x
139 Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · Public
28
25–28
 $30,659/yr 7.1x
140 Angelo State University
San Angelo, TX · Public
28
25–28
 $30,008/yr 8.0x
141 Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public
28
24–29
 $33,255/yr 7.8x
142 Marshall University
Huntington, WV · Public
28
26–29
 $23,169/yr 12.2x
143 Biola University
La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit
27
21–28
 $41,997/yr 1.0x
144 University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public
27
24–27
 $31,102/yr 4.5x
145 California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA · Public
27
24–27
 $29,686/yr 10.6x
146 Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
27
21–27
 $38,302/yr 1.7x
147 Ashford University
San Diego, CA · Private for-profit
27
24–28
 $32,459/yr 7.2x
148 Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public
27
24–27
 $26,591/yr 8.0x
149 Canisius University
Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit
27
22–27
 $34,766/yr 1.7x
150 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY · Private nonprofit
27
22–27
 $37,241/yr 1.7x
151 University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond, OK · Public
27
25–27
 $28,139/yr 11.1x
152 SUNY at Fredonia
Fredonia, NY · Public
26
24–27
 $28,485/yr 10.3x
153 Central State University
Wilberforce, OH · Public
26
23–26
 $28,306/yr 10.7x
154 Baylor University
Waco, TX · Private nonprofit
26
22–27
 $35,675/yr 1.8x
155 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public
26
23–26
 $29,622/yr 5.2x
156 Radford University
Radford, VA · Public
26
24–26
 $25,675/yr 8.9x
157 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR · Public
25
23–25
 $27,259/yr 6.6x
158 University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public
25
22–25
 $28,704/yr 4.7x
159 Suffolk University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofit
25
21–25
 $33,628/yr 0.9x
160 Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit
25
21–25
 $34,453/yr 1.9x
161 Mercer University
Macon, GA · Private nonprofit
24
20–24
 $32,807/yr 1.0x
162 Lincoln University
Jefferson City, MO · Public
24
22–24
 $26,356/yr 6.1x
163 St Bonaventure University
Saint Bonaventure, NY · Private nonprofit
24
20–24
 $34,045/yr 2.2x
164 Hampton University
Hampton, VA · Private nonprofit
24
22–25
 $28,324/yr 3.8x
165 Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit
24
19–24
 $36,767/yr 1.4x
166 Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
23
19–23
 $31,369/yr 2.8x
167 University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · Public
23
21–24
 $27,474/yr 3.8x
168 St. John's University-New York
Queens, NY · Private nonprofit
23
18–23
 $36,020/yr 1.3x
169 Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit
23
18–23
 $34,887/yr 1.9x
170 North Greenville University
Tigerville, SC · Private nonprofit
23
19–24
 $34,293/yr 2.7x
171 Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA · Public
21
19–22
 $21,087/yr 4.2x
172 Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ · Public
21
20–22
 $25,575/yr 3.3x
173 Samford University
Birmingham, AL · Private nonprofit
20
17–20
 $30,311/yr 2.2x
174 Flagler College
Saint Augustine, FL · Private nonprofit
20
18–20
 $27,863/yr 1.6x
175 Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI · Public
19
18–20
 $25,033/yr 5.8x
176 Rust College
Holly Springs, MS · Private nonprofit
19
17–19
 $24,977/yr 5.4x
177 California Baptist University
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit
18
16–18
 $26,026/yr 0.6x
178 Widener University
Chester, PA · Private nonprofit
16
14–17
 $22,058/yr 0.0x
FAQ

Frequently asked

What is the best school for Journalism?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Journalism with a score of 56/100 and graduate earnings of $48,637/yr.

How much do Journalism graduates earn?

Across 178 schools, Journalism graduates earn an average of $34,417/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $52,015/yr.

Is Journalism a good major for AI resistance?

Journalism has an average AI task exposure of 61%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.

DegreeOutlook Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeOutlook Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.