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Journalism.
Master's Degree•65 Institutions
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.
Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings
Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.
Field Median ($62,512)
P25-P75 Interval ($47,260 - $76,630)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington | DC | $90,356 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $40,815 /yr | - | +$81k |
Washington | DC | $89,072 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $36,586 /yr | - | +$77k |
Iowa City | IA | $84,165 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $22,531 /yr | $22,010 | +$60k |
Kent | OH | $83,464 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $20,787 /yr | $27,036 | +$57k |
Boston | MA | $82,549 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $24,402 /yr | - | +$43k |
Saint Bonaventure | NY | $82,191 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $27,074 /yr | $27,582 | +$35k |
New York | NY | $78,880 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $21,590 /yr | $69,000 | +$16k |
Columbia | MO | $77,057 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $20,268 /yr | $20,877 | +$2k |
Tuscaloosa | AL | - Nat: $69,034 | $22,420 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tucson | AZ | - Nat: $69,034 | $16,674 /yr | - | -$0 |
Fayetteville | AR | - Nat: $69,034 | $18,209 /yr | - | -$0 |
Jonesboro | AR | - Nat: $69,034 | $12,366 /yr | - | -$0 |
Academy of Art University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Francisco | CA | - Nat: $69,034 | $40,613 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boulder | CO | - Nat: $69,034 | $25,346 /yr | - | -$0 |
Gainesville | FL | - Nat: $69,034 | $6,541 /yr | - | -$0 |
Coral Gables | FL | - Nat: $69,034 | $37,244 /yr | - | -$0 |
Chicago | IL | - Nat: $69,034 | $49,790 /yr | - | -$0 |
Champaign | IL | - Nat: $69,034 | $14,355 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ames | IA | - Nat: $69,034 | $18,589 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lawrence | KS | - Nat: $69,034 | $18,059 /yr | - | -$0 |
Manhattan | KS | - Nat: $69,034 | $19,406 /yr | - | -$0 |
Baltimore | MD | - Nat: $69,034 | $14,985 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cambridge | MA | - Nat: $69,034 | $19,066 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cambridge | MA | - Nat: $69,034 | $20,111 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boston | MA | - Nat: $69,034 | $30,915 /yr | - | -$0 |
East Lansing | MI | - Nat: $69,034 | $19,680 /yr | - | -$0 |
The University of Montana ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Missoula | MT | - Nat: $69,034 | $16,784 /yr | - | -$0 |
Reno | NV | - Nat: $69,034 | $15,927 /yr | - | -$0 |
Athens | OH | - Nat: $69,034 | $21,637 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $69,034 | $28,198 /yr | - | -$0 |
Brookings | SD | - Nat: $69,034 | $19,841 /yr | - | -$0 |
Waco | TX | - Nat: $69,034 | $41,104 /yr | - | -$0 |
Austin | TX | - Nat: $69,034 | $19,857 /yr | - | -$0 |
Huntington | WV | - Nat: $69,034 | $7,502 /yr | - | -$0 |
Morgantown | WV | - Nat: $69,034 | $15,634 /yr | - | -$0 |
Madison | WI | - Nat: $69,034 | $17,354 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Juan | PR | - Nat: $69,034 | $9,175 /yr | - | -$0 |
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Gurabo | PR | - Nat: $69,034 | $7,051 /yr | - | -$0 |
Los Angeles | CA | $76,630 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $32,740 /yr | $48,232 | -$25k |
Lincoln | NE | $73,130 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $17,747 /yr | - | -$28k |
Tempe | AZ | $72,390 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $14,967 /yr | $35,778 | -$29k |
Athens | GA | $70,926 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $13,936 /yr | $22,394 | -$40k |
Tampa | FL | $69,612 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $9,812 /yr | $36,404 | -$44k |
Hempstead | NY | $74,266 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $34,176 /yr | - | -$48k |
Evanston | IL | $70,715 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $29,167 /yr | $64,766 | -$70k |
Washington | DC | $67,819 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $41,943 /yr | $55,989 | -$119k |
Syracuse | NY | $62,512 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $38,793 /yr | $56,444 | -$161k |
CUNY Graduate School and University Center ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. New York | NY | $52,107 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | - /yr | - | -$167k |
Norman | OK | $49,683 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $15,300 /yr | - | -$219k |
Berkeley | CA | $49,136 Nat: $67,819 2yr Post-Grad | $13,481 /yr | - | -$221k |
University of Illinois Springfield ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Springfield | IL | $49,368 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $9,833 /yr | - | -$231k |
Muncie | IN | $48,041 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $14,940 /yr | - | -$234k |
Regent University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Virginia Beach | VA | $49,772 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $19,923 /yr | $45,050 | -$246k |
Full Sail University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Winter Park | FL | $53,227 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $38,875 /yr | $35,477 | -$247k |
Chicago | IL | $51,338 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $30,902 /yr | $44,065 | -$251k |
Columbia | SC | $47,260 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $22,811 /yr | - | -$257k |
Pittsburgh | PA | $44,590 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $25,942 /yr | - | -$289k |
Memphis | TN | $41,937 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $12,397 /yr | - | -$292k |
Boston | MA | $48,294 Nat: $69,034 4yr Post-Grad | $49,180 /yr | - | -$314k |
Chicago | IL | $41,025 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $26,598 /yr | - | -$327k |
College Park | MD | $38,289 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $15,678 /yr | - | -$335k |
Denton | TX | $36,141 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $15,649 /yr | - | -$357k |
University | MS | $35,060 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $13,314 /yr | - | -$364k |
Hamden | CT | $39,741 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $40,675 /yr | - | -$366k |
Eugene | OR | $33,993 Nat: $69,034 2yr Post-Grad | $22,182 /yr | $46,786 | -$391k |
Analysis Notes:
- Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
- Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.