by our College Data Analytics Team
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find where journalism graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose journalism graduates go on to earn the most.
Loyola University Chicago tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Journalism graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of about $55,384 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in journalism will find them at Depaul University, which ranked #2. Depaul University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,947.
Students chasing top earnings in journalism will find them at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #3. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. Journalism graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of about $57,331 a year early in their careers.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,940.
A rank of #5 makes Illinois State University one of the highest-paying schools for journalism. Illinois State University is a public school located in the suburb of Normal. Journalism graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of about $48,505 a year early in their careers.
Columbia College Chicago ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago typically earn about $49,778 annually.
Northern Illinois University earned the #7 position for journalism graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Early-career journalism graduates from Northern Illinois University make a median of around $47,283 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries journalism graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.