Journalismat Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Graduates earn $40,575/yr in their first year — about 18.0% above the national Journalism average. Base-case 10-year earnings $487K; scenarios range from $458K to $486K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
First-year earnings of $40,575 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale come in 18% above the national median of $34,417 for Journalism programs.
At 9.2x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.
AI risk is moderate — 64% task exposure — and the 6% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The $21,269 debt-to-$40,575 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.
Ranked #59 out of 178 programs, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's Journalism offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth is modest: $40,575 to $46,940 over five years (16% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale'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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Journalism at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
How does Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's Journalism program score?
This program scores 37/100 — on the lower end for Journalism. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Journalism to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Journalism careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 64% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.