# West Virginia University: Journalism (bachelor's)

Morgantown, WV. IPEDS 238032, CIP 09.04. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/west-virginia-university/majors/journalism

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $34,075
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $58,454 (U.S. median for this major: $54,425 across 185 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $24,250 (U.S. median $24,250)
- Rank in WV: 1 of 2 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the U.S. median: +$4,029

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.33 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $58,454 minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,450 | $40,919 | 1.6 years |
| 30-48k | $12,501 | $54,129 | 2.1 years |
| 48-75k | $14,179 | $61,395 | 2.4 years |
| 75-110k | $18,710 | $81,014 | 3.1 years |
| 110k+ | $20,273 | $87,782 | 3.4 years |

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

## Journalism at WV colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia University | $58,454 | $24,250 | $15,634 | 65% |
| Marshall University | $44,277 | $26,662 | $7,502 | 51% |

## Careers
- Reporter / journalist (SOC 27-3023): median wage not reported Morgantown, WV, $35,280 WV, $62,200 U.S.; U.S. jobs -5.9% by 2035
- Editors (SOC 27-3041): median wage not reported Morgantown, WV, $56,630 WV, $77,920 U.S.; U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035
- Film and Video Editors (SOC 27-4032): median wage not reported Morgantown, WV, $48,440 WV, $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).