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2026 Highest Paid Journalism Grads in District of Columbia

[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying journalism schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Journalism Grads in District of Columbia

2026 Highest Paid Journalism Grads in District of Columbia

Below are the schools whose journalism graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid Journalism Graduates

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

$81,856 Average Early-Career Salary

George Washington University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid journalism graduates in District of Columbia. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Journalism graduates of George Washington University earn a median of about $81,856 a year early in their careers.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$55,636 Average Early-Career Salary

American University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from American University typically earn about $55,636 annually.

3

Georgetown University
Washington, DC

$59,912 Average Early-Career Salary

A rank of #3 makes Georgetown University one of the highest-paying schools for journalism. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Journalism graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of about $59,912 a year early in their careers.

View All Journalism Rankings >

Notes and References

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 · 3 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.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.