U.S. median for this major: $54,425.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 20% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $90,300. 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.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | $79,776 | $16,250 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 2 | Chapman University | $79,135 | $22,500 | $46,555 | 82% |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $70,829 | $19,333 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 4 | California State University-Chico | $63,358 | $18,750 | $14,480 | 63% |
| 5 | Biola University | $59,925 | $27,000 | $31,495 | 68% |
| 6 | California Baptist University | $58,821 | $26,869 | $26,285 | 62% |
| 7 | Pepperdine University | $58,801 | — | $58,098 | 83% |
| 8 | University of California-Irvine | $57,492 | $16,900 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 9 | San Francisco State University | $57,260 | $16,875 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 10 | California State University-Long Beach | $55,192 | $15,000 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 11 | San Diego State University | $53,997 | $14,998 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 12 | California State University-Northridge | $53,351 | $15,480 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 13 | California State University-Sacramento | $53,145 | $20,000 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 14 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | $39,178 | $22,300 | $13,171 | 49% |
11 more California colleges offer Journalism but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Journalism graduates
Reporter / journalist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -5.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Film and Video Editors
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 USC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About USC
- Acceptance rate: 10% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 92% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $92,498
- Full cost breakdown · all 89 majors · overview
Related majors at USC
- Communications$75,864
- Writing$41,637
- Public Relations and Advertising$87,946
- English$59,345
USC Journalism questions
How much do USC Journalism graduates earn?
Journalism graduates of University of Southern California earn a median $79,776 four years after graduating and $44,651 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.
How much debt do USC Journalism graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of University of Southern California is $16,250, about 20% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.
Where does USC rank for Journalism in California?
Of 14 California colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, University of Southern California ranks 1st, the highest.
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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Southern California Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-california/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).