College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Journalism Schools

237 Colleges in the United States
13,552 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$32,953 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in journalism, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #69 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 237 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Journalism Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,552 degrees in journalism during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Journalism School

Best Journalism Schools The journalism program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Journalism rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for journalism schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Journalism Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Journalism
Bachelor's Degrees in Journalism
Master's Degrees in Journalism
Doctor's Degrees in Journalism

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Journalism Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Journalism in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the journalism degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Journalism

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$41,076 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in journalism needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 115 journalism students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $8,122 more than the standard journalism student.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Southern California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
209 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$42,011 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you want to pursue a degree in journalism. UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 209 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the journalism degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $9,058 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Wisconsin - Madison

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$44,977 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in journalism. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 142 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the journalism major at Columbia University in the City of New York get $12,024 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in journalism from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$38,410 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in journalism. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 258 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive $5,457 more than the typical journalism graduate.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$43,713 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 53 journalism students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Journalism degree recipients from George Washington University get an earnings boost of about $10,759 above the typical income of journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in journalism from George Washington University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$33,952 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 181 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. After graduation, journalism degree recipients generally make around $33,952 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
488 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$42,665 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 488 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Missouri - Columbia receive $9,712 more than the average journalism grad.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Missouri - Columbia

8
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$40,192 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were about 132 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Journalism degree recipients from Boston University receive an earnings boost of about $7,238 over the typical income of journalism majors.

More information about a degree in journalism from Boston University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$38,316 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 145 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the journalism degree program at University of Maryland - College Park get $5,363 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Maryland - College Park

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
257 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,913 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 47 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 257 journalism students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Kansas make $4,960 more than the typical journalism grad.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Kansas

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
279 Journalism Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Oklahoma is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Norman. This university ranks 1st out of 32 schools for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were about 279 journalism students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent data year. Journalism degree recipients from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $2,276 above the typical earnings of journalism majors.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

12
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$46,352 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 170 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Journalism degree recipients from University of Iowa receive an earnings boost of around $13,399 above the typical income of journalism majors.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Iowa

13
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 Journalism Degrees Awarded
20.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 233.00000000000003 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the journalism major at Syracuse University get $4,836 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in journalism from Syracuse University

14
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In DC

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 19 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in journalism from Georgetown University

15
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Journalism Degrees Awarded
30.0% Growth in Graduates

Emerson is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Boston. This college ranks 17th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 130 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Emerson in the most recent data year. Those journalism students who get their degree from Emerson College earn $5,722 more than the average journalism student.

More information about a degree in journalism from Emerson College

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,589 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 123 journalism students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the journalism degree program at Indiana University - Bloomington make $4,636 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in journalism from Indiana University - Bloomington

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Journalism Degrees Awarded
9.0% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 111 journalism students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the journalism program make around $32,630 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in journalism from Michigan State University

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$35,459 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 53 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the journalism program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $2,506 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Journalism Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 73 journalism students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent year we have data available. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Colorado Boulder receive $5,672 more than the average journalism grad.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Colorado Boulder

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TX
52 Journalism Degrees Awarded

SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Dallas. This university ranks 4th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 52 journalism students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University

21
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$32,587 Median Starting Salary

U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Coral Gables. This university ranks 2nd out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 33 journalism students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the journalism program earn an average of $32,587 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Miami

22

TCU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Fort Worth. This university ranks 5th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 27 journalism students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Journalism degree recipients from Texas Christian University receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,243 over the average income of journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in journalism from Texas Christian University

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,640 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 19 colleges for overall quality in the state of Nebraska.

There were approximately 109 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Nebraska - Lincoln receive $4,687 more than the average journalism graduate.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Journalism Degrees Awarded
$35,951 Median Starting Salary

UGA is a very large public university located in the city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #72 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 181 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Those journalism students who get their degree from University of Georgia earn $2,998 more than the typical journalism grad.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Georgia

25
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Journalism Degrees Awarded
11.6% Growth in Graduates

UARK is a very large public university located in the city of Fayetteville. This university ranks 1st out of 34 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were roughly 146 journalism students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the journalism major at University of Arkansas make $3,393 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in journalism from University of Arkansas

Rest of the Top Best Journalism Schools

26
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
27
28
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
29
30
31
32
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA

33

34
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
35

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Journalism students that almost earned our Best Journalism Schools award.

Rank College Location
36 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
37 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
38 Samford University Birmingham, AL
39 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
40 University of North Texas Denton, TX
41 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
42 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
43 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
44 Northeastern University Boston, MA
45 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
46 Iowa State University Ames, IA
47 Ball State University Muncie, IN

Journalism by Region

View the Best Journalism Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Communication & Journalism area of study, Journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.

Journalism Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Journalism 11,380
Other Journalism 1,134
Broadcast Journalism 881
Photojournalism 144
Business and Economic Journalism 7
Science/Health/Environmental Journalism 6

View All Journalism Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

View All Journalism Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options