California State University-Chico Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of California State University-Chico earn a median $63,358 four years after graduating ($35,668 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $18,750. That is $8,933 above the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 4th of 14 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$63,358

U.S. median for this major: $54,425.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$35,668

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$18,750

About 30% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,480 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,283. College Scorecard.

Journalism at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Journalism graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Southern California$79,776$16,250$32,74092%
2Chapman University$79,135$22,500$46,55582%
3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$70,829$19,333$16,66586%
4California State University-Chico$63,358$18,750$14,48063%
5Biola University$59,925$27,000$31,49568%
6California Baptist University$58,821$26,869$26,28562%
7Pepperdine University$58,801—$58,09883%
8University of California-Irvine$57,492$16,900$14,25187%
9San Francisco State University$57,260$16,875$12,27850%
10California State University-Long Beach$55,192$15,000$10,44069%
11San Diego State University$53,997$14,998$15,36476%
12California State University-Northridge$53,351$15,480$7,02157%
13California State University-Sacramento$53,145$20,000$9,33856%
14California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt$39,178$22,300$13,17149%

11 more California colleges offer Journalism but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Journalism graduates

Reporter / journalist

U.S.$62,200

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -5.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Editors

Chico area$67,390
California$98,030
U.S.$77,920

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Film and Video Editors

California$88,490
U.S.$75,420

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at California State University-Chico, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About California State University-Chico

Related majors at California State University-Chico

California State University-Chico Journalism questions

How much do California State University-Chico Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of California State University-Chico earn a median $63,358 four years after graduating and $35,668 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do California State University-Chico Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of California State University-Chico is $18,750, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Where does California State University-Chico rank for Journalism in California?

Of 14 California colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, California State University-Chico ranks 4th. The highest is University of Southern California at $79,776.

What jobs do Journalism graduates get?

A common career is reporter / journalist, with a median wage of — in California and $62,200 nationally. Others include editors and film and video editors.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “California State University-Chico Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-chico/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).