Home Schools Texas Southern University Journalism
Communications · Journalism Rank #127 of 178

Journalismat Texas Southern University

Graduates earn $18,301/yr in their first year — about 47.0% below the national Journalism average. Base-case 10-year earnings $612K; scenarios range from $543K to $632K depending on AI disruption.

Houston, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
30 AT RISK
30
Optimistic
27
Pessimistic
Earnings
$18,301
1-year post-graduation
ROI
12.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$612K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
61% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Texas Southern University

While the earnings figures might seem discouraging, they reflect the tough reality of breaking into a competitive media landscape, especially from a program focused on access. The Houston market is large, but dominated by established players, and entry-level roles at smaller local outlets, community newspapers, or non-profits often come with modest starting salaries. Your TSU degree will equip you with foundational skills, but it won't automatically open doors at major networks or corporations. The path for many graduates involves "paying your dues" in less glamorous, lower-paying roles to build a portfolio. Therefore, your success hinges on hustle. Your most critical task is to aggressively pursue internships throughout your time in Houston—at local TV stations, the Houston Chronicle, or even in corporate communications—to build the professional network and real-world clips that employers demand straight out of college.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$543K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score27/100
Earnings Multiple14.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$612K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score30/100
Earnings Multiple16.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$632K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score30/100
Earnings Multiple17.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Texas Southern University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Journalism graduates typically work

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.

1
Communications teachers, postsecondary
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 2,700 openings/yr
$77,800/yr
Moderate
2
Editors
+0.6% 10-yr growth · 9,800 openings/yr
$75,260/yr
High
3
Writers and authors
+3.6% 10-yr growth · 13,400 openings/yr
$72,270/yr
Very High
4
Film and video editors
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 3,600 openings/yr
$70,980/yr
High
5
News analysts, reporters, and journalists
-3.9% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$60,280/yr
High
6
Proofreaders and copy markers
-0.6% 10-yr growth · 1,900 openings/yr
$49,210/yr
Very High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Journalism

How Texas Southern University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
George Washington University
DC · Private nonprofit
44
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
2.1x
ROI
Northeastern University
MA · Private nonprofit
35
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
1.5x
ROI
Northwestern University
IL · Private nonprofit
39
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
1.7x
ROI
Top score
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
56
DW Score
$49K
1-yr earn
14.3x
ROI
University of Maryland-College Park
MD · Public
55
DW Score
$47K
1-yr earn
14.3x
ROI
Also at Texas Southern University

Other top programs at Texas Southern University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Texas Southern University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Journalism at Texas Southern University

How does Texas Southern University's Journalism program score?

This program scores 30/100 — on the lower end for Journalism. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

Do Texas Southern University Journalism graduates earn enough to justify the loans?

The debt-to-income ratio of 1.7x suggests an extended repayment window. Whether it's 'worth it' depends on career trajectory, not just first-year pay.

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.

Why are Journalism earnings lower at Texas Southern University?

Lower starting pay at Texas Southern University may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.