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2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s

77 Ranked Colleges
1,181 Degrees Awarded
$42,572 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,181 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 77 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular journalism programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 133 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at Columbia

2
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Syracuse University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. Syracuse is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 masters’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Syracuse University Journalism Report

3
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified masters’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Georgia

4

Out of the 77 schools in the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 52 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Mizzou

5
Full Sail University crest
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Full Sail University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. Full Sail University is a large school located in Winter Park, Florida that handed out 47 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at Full Sail University

6

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full ASU - Tempe Journalism Report

7
St. Bonaventure crest
St. Bonaventure University
Saint Bonaventure, New York

St. Bonaventure University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. St. Bonaventure is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Bonaventure, New York. It awarded 39 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at St. Bonaventure

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #8, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Journalism Report

8
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Boston University Journalism Report

10
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 33 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The American University Journalism Report

11
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Iowa

12

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 30 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Maryland - College Park

13

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 27 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

14
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 26 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Harvard Journalism Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 25 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at UNT

16
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Northeastern University Journalism Report

16

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at University of South Carolina - Columbia

18
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 20 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full KU Journalism Report

18
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. UA is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Alabama Journalism Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 19 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at OHIO Athens

20
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Georgetown

20
Quinnipiac crest
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, Connecticut

Quinnipiac University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. Hamden, Connecticut is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Quinnipiac University

20

With a ranking of #20, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Journalism Report

24
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at DePaul University

25

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 16 masters’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at University of Oklahoma

25
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s ranking. Emerson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Emerson

25

With a ranking of #25, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Journalism Major for a Master’s list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s journalism degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Full Kent State Journalism Report

Notes and References

References

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