by our College Data Analytics Team
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a journalism degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find where journalism graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose journalism graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked University Of Wisconsin Madison the top school for journalism graduate earnings in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison typically earn about $68,253 annually.
Marquette University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Early-career journalism graduates from Marquette University make a median of around $65,829 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Located in the city of Eau Claire, University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire is a public institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire typically earn about $48,373 annually.
University Of Wisconsin Whitewater produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Whitewater, University Of Wisconsin Whitewater is a public institution. Early-career journalism graduates from University Of Wisconsin Whitewater make a median of around $50,223 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their journalism graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 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.