Journalism at Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Bachelor's Degree · about 115 graduates a year

$36,912
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$59,498
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$56,278
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#53 of 187
Rank by pay
#37 of 187
Rank, wage-adjusted
$23,547
Median federal debt

Michigan State University graduates in journalism earn 6% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 40% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Michigan 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
…
50University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT$59,604$53,663#107$24,026
51University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT$59,604$53,663#108$24,026
52University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT$59,604$53,663#109$24,026
53Michigan State University East Lansing, MI$59,498$62,734#37$36,912
54University at Albany Albany, NY$59,495$56,627#74$28,553
55Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH$59,276$63,256#30$38,246
56Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH$59,276$63,256#31$38,246

Other Majors at Michigan State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$116,905$86,192#60 of 459
Computer Engineering$104,627$83,934#101 of 189
Engineering$102,301$75,058#10 of 57
Chemical Engineering$102,223$79,023#38 of 158
Finance and Financial Management Services$102,017$68,103#45 of 452
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$100,481$83,874#99 of 258
Mechanical Engineering$97,946$80,259#53 of 318
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$97,236$69,443#30 of 126
Accounting and Related Services$96,093$65,965#73 of 796
Materials Engineering$95,761$78,276#8 of 34
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$95,387$74,518#14 of 43
Engineering-Related Fields$94,143$76,563#11 of 33
Statistics$93,930$63,649#21 of 50
Business Administration, Management and Operations$91,187$71,253#50 of 1176
Civil Engineering$90,650$72,048#51 of 233
Marketing$90,453$57,275#22 of 516
Agricultural Engineering$86,498$65,396#10 of 26
Human Resources Management and Services$85,886$56,501#17 of 187
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$80,129$75,081#707 of 966
Engineering$79,609$67,007#18 of 19
Economics$79,428$54,013#187 of 368
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$75,147——
International Relations and National Security Studies$74,709$38,810#29 of 118
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$73,880$48,185#65 of 99
Non-Professional Legal Studies$72,414$33,752#6 of 39
Mathematics$72,226$47,951#138 of 309
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$71,158—#6 of 17
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions$70,940$47,202#64 of 93
Food Science and Technology$70,380$59,342#16 of 29
Hospitality Administration/Management$69,651$41,069#14 of 137

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Michigan State University journalism graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $36,912 one year after graduating and $59,498 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Michigan State University rank for journalism?

Among 187 colleges reporting earnings for journalism graduates, Michigan State University ranks #53 by median pay four years after graduation, and #37 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is journalism at Michigan State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 6% more than the national median for journalism ($56,278), and the median federal debt at graduation is $23,547.

← All data for Michigan 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.