by our College Data Analytics Team
[Journalism](/majors/communication-journalism-media/journalism/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a journalism degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying journalism schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send journalism graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Rutgers University New Brunswick, our #1 for journalism graduate salaries in New Jersey. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public institution. Early-career journalism graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick make a median of around $62,307 per year.
Rutgers University Newark produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. Rutgers University Newark is a public school located in the city of Newark. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,307.
Strong graduate earnings at The College Of New Jersey earned it the #3 place for journalism. The College Of New Jersey is a public school located in the suburb of Ewing. Early-career journalism graduates from The College Of New Jersey make a median of around $42,217 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Rowan University one of the highest-paying schools for journalism. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a public institution. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,282.
Montclair State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #5 spot this year. Montclair State University is a public school located in the suburb of Montclair. Journalism graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of about $25,575 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.