Journalism at San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 167 graduates a year

$30,269
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$53,997
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,278
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#102 of 187
Rank by pay
#152 of 187
Rank, wage-adjusted
$14,998
Median federal debt

San Diego State University graduates in journalism earn 4% less 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 San Diego State University 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
…
99Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA$54,081$55,001#90—
100Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL$54,038$53,092#115—
101University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK$54,031$60,664#44$36,744
102San Diego State University San Diego, CA$53,997$49,134#152$30,269
103CUNY York College Jamaica, NY$53,901$51,303#132$24,535
104Widener University Chester, PA$53,724$54,638#94$22,058
105Iowa State University Ames, IA$53,633$56,415#75$39,347

Other Majors at San Diego State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$120,799$100,221#18 of 966
Computer Engineering$116,842$76,812#46 of 189
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$106,416$75,061#48 of 258
Computer Science$100,586$74,523#167 of 349
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$100,564$81,608#6 of 43
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$100,139$74,375#20 of 59
Mechanical Engineering$97,825$69,754#56 of 318
Civil Engineering$95,865$73,584#17 of 233
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$88,417$66,482#4 of 46
Finance and Financial Management Services$88,136$53,373#120 of 452
Computer and Information Sciences$86,613$54,244#217 of 459
Statistics$83,076$57,734#31 of 50
Marketing$81,368$48,229#66 of 516
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$81,122$45,360#5 of 49
Accounting and Related Services$80,011$57,157#254 of 796
Chemistry$74,676$43,603#41 of 209
Economics$74,123$44,125#232 of 368
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$73,647$41,351#9 of 138
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences$73,095$35,624#27 of 156
Hospitality Administration/Management$70,113$40,009#13 of 137
Business Administration, Management and Operations$69,902$46,275#380 of 1176
Applied Mathematics$69,606$42,856#39 of 45
International Business$69,141$38,138#77 of 115
Biology$68,861$33,597#116 of 841
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$67,414$44,197#58 of 178
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$66,649—#2 of 70
Political Science and Government$64,824$38,060#203 of 565
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$61,510$22,378#74 of 215
Communication and Media Studies$61,389$37,773#136 of 660
Public Health$60,904$41,092#83 of 215

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do San Diego State University journalism graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $30,269 one year after graduating and $53,997 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does San Diego State University rank for journalism?

Among 187 colleges reporting earnings for journalism graduates, San Diego State University ranks #102 by median pay four years after graduation, and #152 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is journalism at San Diego State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 4% less than the national median for journalism ($56,278), and the median federal debt at graduation is $14,998.

← All data for San Diego State University · 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.