Journalismat George Washington University
Graduates earn $52,015/yr in their first year — about 51.0% above the national Journalism average. Base-case 10-year earnings $686K; scenarios range from $593K to $717K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at George Washington University
Those high earnings aren't just about learning to write a good lede; they're a direct result of your location. At GW, you're not just studying journalism—you're immersed in the D.C. ecosystem where politics, policy, and media collide. The city is a dense network of major news bureaus, influential political publications like Politico and The Hill, and countless think tanks and federal agencies that all need skilled communications professionals. Your internships won't be at a small local paper; they'll be on Capitol Hill or with a national news outlet, building a powerful professional network before you even graduate. This direct pipeline to high-stakes, high-paying D.C. media and communications roles is what sets this program apart. To truly capitalize on this, treat every internship and class project as a direct audition for your first job in the nation's capital.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to George Washington University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Journalism
How George Washington University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at George Washington University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at George Washington University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Journalism at George Washington University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Journalism at George Washington University?
A score of 44/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Journalism. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Journalism careers?
With 64% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $592,666 in decade earnings vs $716,907 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What makes George Washington University's Journalism program stand out?
Ranked #25 of 178 programs nationally, George Washington University lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.