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 8 schools to find where journalism graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send journalism graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Georgia College And State University the top school for journalism graduate earnings in Georgia. Set in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College And State University is a public institution. Early-career journalism graduates from Georgia College And State University make a median of around $55,713 per year.
University Of Georgia produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Georgia is a public school located in the city of Athens. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,422.
Students chasing top earnings in journalism will find them at Georgia Southern University, which ranked #3. Georgia Southern University is a public school located in the town of Statesboro. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,630.
Georgia State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in journalism, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a public institution. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,652.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of West Georgia earned it the #5 place for journalism. Set in the town of Carrollton, University Of West Georgia is a public institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from University Of West Georgia typically earn about $48,565 annually.
Savannah State University earned the #6 position for journalism graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Savannah, Savannah State University is a public institution. Journalism graduates of Savannah State University earn a median of about $48,748 a year early in their careers.
Mercer University earned the #7 position for journalism graduate earnings this year. Mercer University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from Mercer University typically earn about $32,807 annually.
Kennesaw State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Kennesaw State University is a public school located in the suburb of Kennesaw. Early-career journalism graduates from Kennesaw State University make a median of around $30,792 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 · 8 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.