University of Southern Mississippi Journalism: earnings, debt & careers

Journalism graduates of University of Southern Mississippi earn a median $41,293 four years after graduating ($29,591 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $13,132 below the U.S. median for Journalism graduates ($54,425 across 185 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 3 Mississippi colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$41,293

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

College Scorecard field of study; 58 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$29,591

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 63% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,250.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$21,708 /yr

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

Sticker price $26,566. College Scorecard.

University of Southern Mississippi Journalism: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Southern Mississippi graduates$41,293
Mississippi median (3 colleges)$41,398 (−$105)
U.S. median (185 colleges)$54,425 (−$13,132)

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 University of Southern Mississippi'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$19,867$87,2168.1 years
$30–48k$20,432$89,6968.3 years
$48–75k$22,756$99,8999.3 years
$75–110k$25,812$113,31510.5 years
$110k+$26,542$116,51910.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (34% 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 ($41,293) minus $30,550 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,743 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 Mississippi colleges

Every Mississippi 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 Mississippi$56,381$24,225$13,31472%
2Rust College$41,398$31,000$12,58712%
3University of Southern Mississippi$41,293$26,000$21,70849%

1 more Mississippi college offers Journalism but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Journalism graduates

Reporter / journalist

Mississippi$45,240
U.S.$62,200

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

Editors

Mississippi$54,380
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

Mississippi$50,410
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 University of Southern Mississippi, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of Southern Mississippi

Related majors at University of Southern Mississippi

  • Communications$45,161
  • Public Relations and Advertising—
  • English$39,214

University of Southern Mississippi Journalism questions

How much do University of Southern Mississippi Journalism graduates earn?

Journalism graduates of University of Southern Mississippi earn a median $41,293 four years after graduating and $29,591 one year after. The U.S. median for Journalism graduates across 185 colleges is $54,425.

How much debt do University of Southern Mississippi Journalism graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Journalism graduates of University of Southern Mississippi is $26,000, about 63% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,250.

Is University of Southern Mississippi a good school for Journalism in Mississippi?

On pay, Journalism graduates of University of Southern Mississippi earn $41,293 four years out, $105 below the median for the same major across 3 Mississippi colleges ($41,398) and $13,132 below the U.S. median ($54,425). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Southern Mississippi rank for Journalism in Mississippi?

Of 3 Mississippi colleges reporting Journalism graduate earnings, University of Southern Mississippi ranks 3rd. The highest is University of Mississippi at $56,381.

What jobs do Journalism graduates get?

A common career is reporter / journalist, with a median wage of $45,240 in Mississippi and $62,200 nationally. Others include editors and film and video editors.

Is University of Southern Mississippi the right fit for your family?

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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 Mississippi Journalism: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi/majors/journalism (College Scorecard and BLS data).