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. 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.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose journalism graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked University Of Kentucky the top school for journalism graduate earnings in Kentucky. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a public institution. After graduating, journalism degree recipients from University Of Kentucky typically earn about $47,621 annually.
Western Kentucky University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Western Kentucky University is a public school located in the city of Bowling Green. Journalism graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of about $43,572 a year early in their careers.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying journalism schools. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Students who complete the journalism program here go on to a median salary of roughly $44,790.
Strong graduate earnings at Kentucky State University earned it the #4 place for journalism. Kentucky State University is a public school located in the town of Frankfort. Journalism graduates of Kentucky State University earn a median of about $32,000 a year early in their careers.
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 · 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.