# Michigan State University: Journalism (bachelor's)

East Lansing, MI. IPEDS 171100, CIP 09.04. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university/majors/journalism

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $36,912
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $59,498 (U.S. median for this major: $54,425 across 185 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,985 (U.S. median $24,250)
- Rank in MI: 1 of 5 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MI median for this major (5 colleges, $47,775): +$11,723
- Versus the U.S. median: +$5,073

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.24 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $59,498 minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,068 | $29,968 | 1.1 years |
| 30-48k | $10,830 | $45,919 | 1.8 years |
| 48-75k | $16,521 | $70,049 | 2.7 years |
| 75-110k | $22,703 | $96,261 | 3.7 years |
| 110k+ | $28,546 | $121,035 | 4.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Journalism at MI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | $59,498 | $24,985 | $19,680 | 81% |
| Wayne State University | $54,188 | $29,000 | $12,766 | 58% |
| Central Michigan University | $47,775 | $27,000 | $17,597 | 59% |
| Oakland University | $46,680 | $26,000 | $9,120 | 58% |
| Eastern Michigan University | $45,245 | $30,735 | $15,407 | 46% |

## Careers
- Reporter / journalist (SOC 27-3023): median wage $50,400 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $62,760 MI, $62,200 U.S.; U.S. jobs -5.9% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage $65,400 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $63,090 MI, $77,920 U.S.; U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035
- Film and Video Editors (SOC 27-4032): median wage not reported Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $59,100 MI, $75,420 U.S.; U.S. jobs 3.7% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).