The University of Texas at Austin Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of The University of Texas at Austin earn a median $61,145 four years after graduating ($39,336 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,500. That is $6,720 above the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 9 Texas colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$61,145

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

College Scorecard field of study; 116 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$39,336

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,500

About 35% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$19,857 /yr

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

Sticker price $31,247. College Scorecard.

The University of Texas at Austin Journalism: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

The University of Texas at Austin graduates$61,145
Texas median (9 colleges)$57,461 (+$3,684)
U.S. median (185 colleges)$54,425 (+$6,720)

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 The University of Texas at Austin'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$12,553$52,7231.9 years
$30–48k$14,297$60,0472.2 years
$48–75k$17,207$72,2692.6 years
$75–110k$24,406$102,5053.7 years
$110k+$30,082$126,3444.6 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($61,145) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,629 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

Austin area$63,940
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

Austin area$52,600
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

Austin area$65,360
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 The University of Texas at Austin, by income

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

College Scorecard

About The University of Texas at Austin

Related majors at The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin Journalism questions

How much do The University of Texas at Austin Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of The University of Texas at Austin earn a median $61,145 four years after graduating and $39,336 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do The University of Texas at Austin Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of The University of Texas at Austin is $21,500, about 35% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Is The University of Texas at Austin a good school for Journalism in Texas?

On pay, Journalism graduates of The University of Texas at Austin earn $61,145 four years out, $3,684 above the median for the same major across 9 Texas colleges ($57,461) and $6,720 above the U.S. median ($54,425). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does The University of Texas at Austin rank for Journalism in Texas?

Of 9 Texas colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, The University of Texas at Austin ranks 2nd. 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 $63,940 in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, 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
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Cite this: “The University of Texas at Austin Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).