Communication & Journalism

Types of Degrees Communication & Journalism Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many communication and journalism graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	94,757
Master’s Degree	10,997
Associate Degree	8,996
Basic Certificate	3,208
Undergraduate Certificate	1,368
Graduate Certificate	712
Doctor’s Degree	533

What Communication & Journalism Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to communication and journalism were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Communication & Journalism Majors

Communication and Journalism majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Communication & Journalism Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to communication and journalism:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Communication & Journalism Majors

A major in communication and journalism will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Communication & Journalism Major?

People with a communication and journalism degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Advertising and Promotions Managers	5.4%	$117,130
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	4.7%	$66,040
Communications Professors	10.0%	$68,910
Community Health Workers	17.9%	$39,540
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Directors- Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio	12.2%	$71,680
Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers	8.2%	NA
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Green Marketers	5.4%	$117,130
Health Educators	14.6%	$54,220
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Media and Communication Workers	10.0%	$48,330
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Producers	12.2%	$71,680
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Public Address System and Other Announcers	2.6%	$27,720
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers	10.3%	$114,800
Public Relations Specialists	8.9%	$60,000
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Talent Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Writers	10.9%	$71,850

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication & Journalism?

This major is dominated by women with about 64% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communication and journalism majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	4,042
Black or African American	10,432
Hispanic or Latino	14,781
White	54,778
International Students	3,913
Other Races/Ethnicities	6,811

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Communication & Journalism. About 4.1% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Communication & Journalism Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that communication and journalism students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $32,643 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $28,987 (25th percentile) and $36,650 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to communication and journalism so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Communication and Journalism majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $52,430 to $90,930 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Communication & Journalism

Some degrees associated with communication and journalism may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to communication and journalism have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	8.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	2.5%
Some College Courses	8.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	54.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.2%
Master’s Degree	10.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.4%
Doctoral Degree	0.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.4%

Online Communication & Journalism Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,695 schools offered a communication and journalism program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	177	13
Certificate (2-4 Years)	6	0
Associate’s Degree	682	54
Bachelor’s Degree	211	60
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	741	112
Post-Master’s	32	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	127	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Communication & Journalism Worth It?

The median salary for a communication and journalism grad is $73,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 83% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $663,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Communication & Journalism

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to communication and journalism.

Major	Number of Grads
Education	327,871
Social Sciences	205,984
Psychology	195,678
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	55,820
History	32,731
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	16,243
Library Science	6,538

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Josh Hallett under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.