What you'll do in college
Journalism majors learn to report, write, and tell true stories across platforms—print, broadcast, audio, and digital. Coursework covers reporting and interviewing, news writing and editing, media law and ethics, photojournalism, data journalism, and multimedia production. From your first year you'll be in newsrooms producing real work on deadline.
Most programs run a student newspaper, news site, TV newscast, or radio station where you can publish and broadcast before you graduate, and many require an internship at a news outlet, magazine, or digital newsroom—often the thing that lands your first job.
What you'll do after college
Grads work as reporters, editors, producers, anchors, photojournalists, and multimedia journalists at newspapers, magazines, wire services, TV and radio stations, and digital news outlets. Some specialize in investigative, political, sports, science, or data journalism; others move into documentary, audio and podcasting, or communications roles.
The industry has been reshaped by digital platforms, so most jobs now expect comfort with video, audio, and social distribution alongside sharp writing and reporting. Entry pay is modest and the hours can be brutal, but the work offers a front-row seat to history and a clear public purpose.
Famous graduates
- Christiane Amanpour — CNN Chief International Anchor; B.A. in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island
- Dan Rather — Longtime CBS Evening News anchor; B.A. in Journalism from Sam Houston State University
- George R.R. Martin — Game of Thrones novelist; B.S.J. and M.S.J. in Journalism from Northwestern University (Medill)
- Brad Pitt — Hollywood icon; journalism major at the University of Missouri who left two credits shy of his degree
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 322 | 9,731 | 35% / 65% | 2% | $57,659 | 96% |
| 287 | 8,168 | 35% / 65% | 2% | $57,421 | 96% | |
| 40 | 547 | 50% / 50% | 2% | $55,763 | 96% | |
| 3 | 193 | 30% / 70% | 3% | $67,596 | 95% | |
| 7 | 141 | 6% / 94% | 0% | $61,253 | 95% | |
| 1 | 130 | 78% / 22% | 0% | $56,790 | 100% | |
| 3 | 94 | 29% / 71% | 1% | $64,932 | 97% | |
| 1 | 93 | 38% / 62% | 3% | $53,344 | 97% | |
| 1 | 72 | 4% / 96% | 0% | $61,913 | 95% | |
| 1 | 72 | 26% / 74% | 1% | $59,038 | 92% | |
| 1 | 66 | 33% / 67% | 11% | $61,202 | 84% | |
| 9 | 43 | 37% / 63% | 2% | $57,871 | 96% | |
| 1 | 43 | 14% / 86% | 5% | $56,254 | 90% | |
| 6 | 41 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $54,320 | 99% | |
| 1 | 11 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $50,880 | 90% | |
| 1 | 9 | 33% / 67% | 22% | $51,296 | 95% | |
| 1 | 6 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $71,931 | 97% | |
| 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $47,209 | 100% | |
| 1 | 0 | $49,358 |