Journalism
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Types of Degrees Journalism Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many journalism graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 12,988 |
Master’s Degree | 1,550 |
Associate’s Degree | 690 |
Basic Certificate | 136 |
Graduate Certificate | 51 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 34 |
Doctor’s Degree | 17 |
What Journalism Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, journalism majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Journalism Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these 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.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- 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.
- 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 Journalism Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to journalism:

- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- 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.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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 Journalism Majors
A major in 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.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- 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 Journalism Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with journalism:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Communications Professors | 10.0% | $68,910 |
Copy Writers | 7.6% | $62,170 |
Film and Video Editors | 17.0% | $62,650 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of journalism majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 439 |
Black or African American | 1,607 |
Hispanic or Latino | 1,764 |
White | 7,977 |
International Students | 362 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 839 |
Geographic Diversity
Journalism appeals to people across the globe. About 2.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- South Korea
- India
- Canada
- United Kingdom
How Much Do Journalism Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism have a median salary of $30,000 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $26,900 (25th percentile) and $33,100 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in journalism, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $51,630 to $78,090 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to journalism. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
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 Journalism
Some careers associated with journalism require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for journalism careers below.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 3.5% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 8.9% |
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) | 2.2% |
Some College Courses | 11.0% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 6.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 52.9% |
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. | 0.2% |
Master’s Degree | 11.8% |
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. | 0.2% |
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. | 0.5% |
Doctoral Degree | 1.9% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 1.2% |
Online Journalism Programs
In the 2018-2019 academic year, 537 schools offered some type of journalism program. 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) | 43 | 2 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 25 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 129 | 4 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 17 | 2 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 43 | 2 |
Master’s Degree | 87 | 15 |
Post-Master’s | 2 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 6 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Journalism Worth It?
The median salary for a journalism grad is $69,480 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 74% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $591,600 after 20 years!

Top Ranking Lists for Journalism
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Majors Related to Journalism
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to journalism.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Communication & Media Studies | 68,301 |
Public Relations & Advertising | 20,156 |
Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 16,150 |
Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,784 |
Publishing | 297 |
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 Jfurrer under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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