by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 51 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for journalism students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,181 master's degrees in journalism during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The journalism master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for journalism students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Journalism Master's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for journalism students seeking a a master's degree.
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in journalism. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their master's from the journalism program report average early career income of $37,963.
More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Southern California
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in journalism needs to take a look at Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Those journalism students who get their master's degree from Columbia University in the City of New York earn $2,405 more than the average journalism student.
More information about a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in the City of New York
It's difficult to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a master's degree in journalism. Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City.
Master's recipients from the journalism major at University of Iowa earn $16,040 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Iowa
University of Wisconsin - Madison is a great option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in journalism. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in journalism from Georgetown University
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.
Students who graduate with their master's from the journalism program report average early career wages of $43,666.
More information about a master’s in journalism from Boston University
Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia.
Journalism master's degree recipients from University of Missouri - Columbia earn a boost of approximately $5,340 above the typical earnings of journalism majors.
More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Missouri - Columbia
UMCP is a very large public university located in the large suburb of College Park.More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the small city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in journalism from University of Miami
View the Best Journalism Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Journalism is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Journalism | 785 |
| Other Journalism | 320 |
| Broadcast Journalism | 35 |
| Photojournalism | 35 |
| Science/Health/Environmental Journalism | 6 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 4,407 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 2,542 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 2,343 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 314 |
| Publishing | 210 |
