### SUMMARY

 Studying Journalism is a valuable choice and ordinarily a requisite first step for scholars planning to pursue a career as a head editor, a news reporter, or a news content writer. Interestingly, nationally, journalism is somewhat popular coming in at the 37th most popular major. In the last year, there were 12,988 journalism degrees conferred. In-state tuition for journalism at private universities is, on average, 3.9 times more costly than their public rivals.

 There are 392 colleges which offer journalism. 392 institutions is on par with other majors offered in the United States. If you're looking to immerse yourself with other journalism students, look at universities in California which have the most students admitted to journalism annually. Zooming out, the best region to get a degree in journalism is in the Southeast region with [Georgia State University](/colleges/georgia-state-university), [University of Georgia](/colleges/university-of-georgia), and [West Virginia University](/colleges/west-virginia-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick for the best conference to major in journalism is the Big Ten Conference with [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities), [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus), and [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison) representing the conference. From our list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our choice for the best college for journalism is [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university).

 The objectively best school might not actually be the best school for you. There are tons of factors to weigh when deciding on school. Things such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would affect your choice of where to go to university. Here at Authority, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you want to know which journalism school is home to the best campus, the winner is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university). If, for example, you are mostly interested in which university is home to the finest campus, we have a whole list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through student reviews, professor reviews, government databases, and more to evaluate every major in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our well researched list for the universities with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and our pick for the school with the best student life for journalism is [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida). Curious why? Continue scrolling to learn more about our top recommendations. Some of our conclusions will probably surprise you.

 If price is a major influence in your choice of where you attend school, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspappears to be our most expensive school for journalism, at least for out of state enrollment. That being said, we have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspschools that could put the cost of [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you could be interested to know that journalism is the 100th most expensive degree in America, with an average expense of $39,000. On a broader scale, the most costly state for journalism on our list is District of Columbia with costs at the main two universities American University and George Washington University of $49,070 and $54,453 respectively. Even more broadly, the most expensive region for journalism is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Fairfield University](/colleges/fairfield-university) with a cost of $49,080, [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with a cost of $54,720, and [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university) with a cost of $52,420.

 Our cheapest region for journalism is the Southeast region which is represented by [Henderson State University](/colleges/henderson-state-university) with a cost of $8,640, [Rust College](/colleges/rust-college) with a cost of $9,900, and [University of Southern Mississippi](/colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi) with a cost of $10,786. On the bright side, the most affordable school for journalism is [University of North Texas](/colleges/university-of-north-texas). Our full list of the most affordable colleges can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state learners can anticipate paying about $10,100 for a degree in journalism. That price balloons substantially to a median of $23,200 for the out-of-state public-school student. As such, you might be interested in our pick for the university with the best value for journalism: [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university). Through this link you will find our comprehensive list for the colleges we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this discussion is based on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition is considered, but we do not know in which states any one student has residency.

 Earnings for journalism majors can differ, but within two-years of completing the major graduates will typically make in the neighborhood of $46,000. While there can be much variation in earnings potential; top earners can make up to $82,000. Even straight out of school, the lowest end positions within the journalism field earn $26,000, which is an alright wage. The highest earning grads for journalism studied at [Lehigh University](/colleges/lehigh-university)&nbspand if you want to find the schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The all-around diversity of journalism ranks on the higher end, being within the 52nd percentile of all majors. The school with the highest composite diversity for journalism is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the universities which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of Journalism only is within the 36th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 45th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest proportion at 63% of scholars studying journalism. Additionally, 69% of undergrads seeking a journalism degree are women.

 The median ranking of journalism professors is 4 stars, a score which is surprisingly the median for every major; this is a fine. If you are curious about the most popular journalism instructor in the country, consider looking up Alice Tait at [Central Michigan University](/colleges/central-michigan-university). It might surprise you, but the top rated instructors for journalism by student are at [Medical University of South Carolina](/colleges/medical-university-of-south-carolina). As we incorporate data other than simply rankings we find that the college possessing comprehensively the best instructors for journalism is [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university). One will find an explanation of our evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top examples of professors in the country.

 Finally, the hardest school to get into for journalism is [Northwestern University](/colleges/northwestern-university). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we do have a general list for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). Although, here at Authority we hope you believe that approaching higher education with a perspective only formed from superlatives might cause issues. We encourage you to read our other pages on different topics and read a couple of our background 'blog posts' on important things to look out for as you continue your school search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Journalism is the 37th most popular degree in America, with 12,988 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #38 [Early Childhood Education and Teaching](/rankings/best-colleges-for-early-childhood-education-and-teaching), and narrowly lost to #36 [General Studies](/rankings/best-colleges-for-general-studies).

 The degree is offered at a total of 392 colleges across the nation, and is the 58th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 18% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that narrowly under 5/8 of colleges offering journalism are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most journalism graduates, largely led by [Georgia State University](/colleges/georgia-state-university), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach) and [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more journalism graduates than [Cochise County Community College District](/colleges/cochise-county-community-college-district), which graduated 533 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study journalism). More students studied journalism as a percentage of total students at [Rust College](/colleges/rust-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Journalism is the 100th most expensive degree in the US, with a median cost of $39,046 amongst the top 50 programs.

 New England has the most expensive schools with great journalism programs led by [Fairfield University](/colleges/fairfield-university) with an annual cost of $49,080. The most expensive state for journalism is District of Columbia led by [American University](/colleges/american-university) and [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 74.37% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 41.19% less than your average private school. So, if you're applying to a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive top 25 college for journalism is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in the nation. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It costs just $5,790 per year but is its journalism program is ranked #68. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable option, [University of North Texas](/colleges/university-of-north-texas)  is probably a good fit for you, ranked #16 with an in-state cost of just $8,295. Another more affordable choice would be #21, [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida) in Alachua County, FL with a cost of $4,477 for in-state students and $25,694 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Paying for college is a massive investment for most. It is important to make sure you are well positioned to payback your investment. We hope the following earnings and career stats help you make an informed decision when picking your major.

 In year one after school, Journalism students bring home $35,607 per annum on average (close to national median 59th percentile). Further into their work lives, they can earn as much as $81,973 per year to as little as $25,978, but average more or less $45,983. Just so you know, that's 19% greater than the U.S. average.

 The most common work title for a Journalism graduate is Analyst, which ordinarily earn close to $54,000; next are Account Executive and Marketing Internship, which usually make around $36,000 and $24,000 respectively.

 New England has the highest grossing Journalism graduates. CT has the highest grossing Journalism alumni of any state. The highest grossing conference for Journalism graduates is Great Northwest Athletic Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Journalism: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is average.

 Instructors continually have a critical influence your college experience, regardless of your primary focus. A great instructor may provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. Contrarily, a bad experience with a professor can interrupt your schooling or even worse... flunk you!

 Journalism professors have a median student rating of 4 out of 5, putting these professors in the upper 50th percentile in the United States based on overall professor effectivness. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Professors of Journalism just out-ranked those from ["Recording Arts Technology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-recording-arts-technology), whereas ["Finance"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-finance)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Journalism.

 Now for some statistics about Journalism professors. Colleges located in remote rural areas tend to have the best Journalism professors. The California Pacific Conference has the highest rated Journalism professors. The Southeast region has the highest rated Journalism professors. Public schools tend to have higher rated Journalism professors than private schools. Finally, Maine has the highest rated Journalism professors in the United States.

 Alice Tait, instructor at [Central Michigan University](/colleges/central-michigan-university)&nbspin Mount Pleasant, MI is the most popular Journalism professor in the US. Reut Cohen, instructor at [Glendale Community College](/colleges/glendale-community-college)&nbspin Glendale, AZ is the highest rated Journalism professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Learn which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is an awfully constructive adventure in one's life; it's a chance for individual growth and evolution. Undergrads continue to realize who they would like to be and develop many of the integral skills to become a prosperous adult. But growth goes far beyond a classroom - the conversations which one has with her schoolmates, the life lesson received from a tenured professor, the exposure to a different view. Therefore, a diverse student body tremendously enhances what one gains from the time at university.

 Journalism is a slightly more ethnically diverse major than average\*. 63% of the US' Journalism majors are white students, followed by latino students (15%), students of other races\*\*(10%), and black students (8%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university) located in New York, NY.

 Furthermore, Journalism significatly skews female, with 69% of students majoring in Journalism identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Butler University](/colleges/butler-university) in Indianapolis, IN.

 Another substantial type of diversity is financial diversity. Sadly, Journalism is less economically diverse than 64% of subjects in America. 31% of its students come from households who take home north of $110,000 per year, 16% are from middle income households, and 24% grew up in low income families. [Ball State University](/colleges/ball-state-university) has the most economically diverse students in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall HI is the most diverse state for Journalism. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the University Athletic Association is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 4%
* Black: 8%
* Latino: 15%
* White: 63%
* Other: 10%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 31%
* Female: 69%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 24%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 31%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 65%
* Out of State: 30%
* International: 6%


2023 Journalism Salary

There are about 33,711 students enrolled in Journalism in the USA.

SALARY