Marquette University Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of Marquette University earn a median $63,322 four years after graduating ($38,700 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $8,897 above the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 5 Wisconsin colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$63,322

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

College Scorecard field of study; 29 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$38,700

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 41% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$31,487 /yr

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

Sticker price $66,768. College Scorecard.

Marquette University Journalism: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Marquette University graduates$63,322
Wisconsin median (5 colleges)$50,970 (+$12,352)
U.S. median (185 colleges)$54,425 (+$8,897)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Journalism nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Marquette University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$22,269$93,5303.6 years
$30–48k$18,916$79,4473.1 years
$48–75k$27,378$114,9884.5 years
$75–110k$32,374$135,9715.3 years
$110k+$36,813$154,6156.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (66% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Journalism graduates 4 years after graduating ($63,322) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,758 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Journalism at Wisconsin colleges

Every Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin-Madison$75,967$23,250$17,35490%
2Marquette University$63,322$26,000$31,48783%
3University of Wisconsin-Whitewater$50,970$26,000$14,15859%
4University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh$48,935—$14,30546%
5University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire$48,173—$16,55064%

4 more Wisconsin colleges offer Journalism but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Journalism graduates

Reporter / journalist

Milwaukee area$63,050
Wisconsin$57,530
U.S.$62,200

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

Editors

Milwaukee area$66,560
Wisconsin$64,270
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

Milwaukee area$64,640
Wisconsin$53,430
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 Marquette University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Marquette University

Related majors at Marquette University

Marquette University Journalism questions

How much do Marquette University Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of Marquette University earn a median $63,322 four years after graduating and $38,700 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do Marquette University Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of Marquette University is $26,000, about 41% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Is Marquette University a good school for Journalism in Wisconsin?

On pay, Journalism graduates of Marquette University earn $63,322 four years out, $12,352 above the median for the same major across 5 Wisconsin colleges ($50,970) and $8,897 above the U.S. median ($54,425). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Marquette University rank for Journalism in Wisconsin?

Of 5 Wisconsin colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, Marquette University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Wisconsin-Madison at $75,967.

What jobs do Journalism graduates get?

A common career is reporter / journalist, with a median wage of $63,050 in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI area 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Marquette University Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/marquette-university/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).