by our College Data Analytics Team
[Publishing](/majors/communication-journalism-media/publishing/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their publishing graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their publishing graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send publishing graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked George Washington University the top school for publishing graduate earnings in the United States. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, publishing degree recipients from George Washington University typically earn about $84,103 annually.
New York University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying publishing schools. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a private not-for-profit institution. Publishing graduates of New York University earn a median of about $63,087 a year early in their careers.
Emerson College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying publishing schools. Located in the city of Boston, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the publishing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,769.
Students chasing top earnings in publishing will find them at Pace University New York, which ranked #4. Located in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career publishing graduates from Pace University New York make a median of around $59,322 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Portland State University one of the highest-paying schools for publishing. Located in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a public institution. After graduating, publishing degree recipients from Portland State University typically earn about $23,449 annually.
Looking for a different degree level? Compare highest-paid Publishing rankings across degree levels:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries publishing 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.