Chapman University Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of Chapman University earn a median $79,135 four years after graduating ($41,645 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,500. That is $24,710 above the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 14 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$79,135

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$41,645

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,500

About 28% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$46,555 /yr

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

Sticker price $83,146. 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

Los Angeles area$100,050
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

Los Angeles area$83,210
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 Chapman University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Chapman University

Related majors at Chapman University

Chapman University Journalism questions

How much do Chapman University Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of Chapman University earn a median $79,135 four years after graduating and $41,645 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do Chapman University Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of Chapman University is $22,500, about 28% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Where does Chapman University rank for Journalism in California?

Of 14 California colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, Chapman University ranks 2nd. 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: “Chapman University Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/chapman-university/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).