Journalism at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 51 graduates a year

$48,637
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$70,829
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,278
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#10 of 187
Rank by pay
#25 of 187
Rank, wage-adjusted
$19,500
Median federal debt

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduates in journalism earn 26% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 28% of one year’s pay at that point.

How California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Compares for Journalism

All 187 colleges reporting journalism earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA$81,935$83,329#1$45,256
2George Washington University Washington, DC$81,927$71,789#10$52,015
3Northwestern University Evanston, IL$80,258$78,853#3$50,426
4University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$79,776$72,591#8$44,651
5Chapman University Orange, CA$79,135$72,008#9$41,645
6University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI$75,967$79,047#2$40,942
7Northeastern University Boston, MA$74,709$65,789#20$51,855
8Fordham University Bronx, NY$72,475$68,981#13$42,769
9University of Miami Coral Gables, FL$71,466$76,066#5$41,378
10California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA$70,829$64,450#25$48,637
11Syracuse University Syracuse, NY$70,404$67,010#15$40,757
12Elon University Elon, NC$69,964$75,081#6$34,105
13University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO$69,016$74,000#7$43,958

Other Majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$154,784$111,141#29 of 349
Computer Engineering$148,950$111,560#14 of 189
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$125,240$90,576#11 of 258
Construction Management$118,331$92,785#2 of 57
Industrial Engineering$112,797$87,226#6 of 94
Business Administration, Management and Operations$110,902$71,876#15 of 1176
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$109,232$81,186#12 of 118
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$107,498$85,509#8 of 59
Mechanical Engineering$106,750$83,011#15 of 318
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$102,702$82,197#2 of 46
Statistics$101,353—#14 of 50
Civil Engineering$101,072$80,673#8 of 233
Materials Engineering$100,599$74,496#3 of 34
Economics$98,927$67,501#71 of 368
Philosophy$98,592—#2 of 86
Physics$96,805—#10 of 107
Architectural Engineering$92,767$80,481#4 of 16
Agricultural Engineering$92,603$72,713#4 of 26
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$89,195$78,938#9 of 51
Agricultural Business and Management$88,396$52,778#2 of 77
Agriculture$84,412$64,786#1 of 43
Mathematics$83,187$53,136#66 of 309
Plant Sciences$82,487$63,129#1 of 44
Political Science and Government$81,843$37,003#36 of 565
Agricultural Public Services$80,965$54,583#1 of 10
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$80,820$47,832#2 of 17
Graphic Communications$79,432$49,029#1 of 59
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$78,097$57,538#16 of 110
Agricultural Mechanization$78,080$73,053#3 of 10
Forestry$77,419$55,092#3 of 31

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo journalism graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $48,637 one year after graduating and $70,829 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo rank for journalism?

Among 187 colleges reporting earnings for journalism graduates, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #10 by median pay four years after graduation, and #25 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is journalism at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo worth it?

Its graduates earn 26% more than the national median for journalism ($56,278), and the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.

← All data for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.