# Middle Tennessee State University: Journalism (bachelor's)

Murfreesboro, TN. IPEDS 220978, CIP 09.04. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/middle-tennessee-state-university/majors/journalism

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $30,659
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $49,932 (U.S. median for this major: $54,425 across 185 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $20,500 (U.S. median $24,250)
- Rank in TN: 2 of 3 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the TN median for this major (3 colleges, $49,932): +$0
- Versus the U.S. median: -$4,493

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.36 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $49,932 minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,289 | $40,500 | 2.6 years |
| 30-48k | $10,273 | $44,790 | 2.9 years |
| 48-75k | $13,007 | $56,711 | 3.7 years |
| 75-110k | $16,935 | $73,837 | 4.8 years |
| 110k+ | $19,046 | $83,041 | 5.4 years |

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

## Journalism at TN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $52,663 | $22,849 | $18,976 | 74% |
| Middle Tennessee State University | $49,932 | $20,500 | $13,359 | 54% |
| University of Memphis | $49,445 | $26,875 | $12,397 | 51% |

## Careers
- Reporter / journalist (SOC 27-3023): median wage $62,770 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $62,390 TN, $62,200 U.S.; U.S. jobs -5.9% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage $64,250 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $59,550 TN, $77,920 U.S.; U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035
- Film and Video Editors (SOC 27-4032): median wage $59,280 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, $57,880 TN, $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).