Texas Tech University Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median $53,206 four years after graduating ($29,622 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,250. That is $1,219 below the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 6th of 9 Texas colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$53,206

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

College Scorecard field of study; 39 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$29,622

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,250

About 44% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$19,070 /yr

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

Sticker price $27,443. College Scorecard.

Texas Tech University Journalism: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Texas Tech University graduates$53,206
Texas median (9 colleges)$57,461 (−$4,255)
U.S. median (185 colleges)$54,425 (−$1,219)

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 Texas Tech 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$12,457$54,4372.8 years
$30–48k$13,851$60,5293.1 years
$48–75k$17,058$74,5433.8 years
$75–110k$22,073$96,4594.9 years
$110k+$24,622$107,5985.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (44% 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 ($53,206) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,690 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 Texas colleges

Every Texas 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
1Baylor University$63,622$23,959$41,10480%
2The University of Texas at Austin$61,145$21,500$19,85789%
3Texas Christian University$58,738—$36,66086%
4Texas State University$57,963$20,847$16,80555%
5University of North Texas$57,461$19,877$15,64961%
6Texas Tech University$53,206$23,250$19,07069%
7University of Houston$53,195$21,500$14,27665%
8The University of Texas at Arlington$48,042—$13,95154%
9Texas Southern University$45,152$34,750$16,59022%

7 more Texas colleges offer Journalism but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Journalism graduates

Reporter / journalist

Lubbock area$43,310
Texas$48,470
U.S.$62,200

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

Editors

Lubbock area$52,670
Texas$45,950
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

Texas$61,220
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 Texas Tech University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Texas Tech University

Related majors at Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University Journalism questions

How much do Texas Tech University Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median $53,206 four years after graduating and $29,622 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do Texas Tech University Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of Texas Tech University is $23,250, about 44% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Is Texas Tech University a good school for Journalism in Texas?

On pay, Journalism graduates of Texas Tech University earn $53,206 four years out, $4,255 below the median for the same major across 9 Texas colleges ($57,461) and $1,219 below the U.S. median ($54,425). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Texas Tech University rank for Journalism in Texas?

Of 9 Texas colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, Texas Tech University ranks 6th. The highest is Baylor University at $63,622.

What jobs do Journalism graduates get?

A common career is reporter / journalist, with a median wage of $43,310 in the Lubbock, TX 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: “Texas Tech University Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/texas-tech-university/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).