DEEPCOLLEGES · OPS · v3.3 SCHOOLS·INDEXED 120 SOURCES IPEDS · CDS · SCORECARD LAST·SYNC 2026.04.29
MAJOR GUIDE · 2026

Best Colleges for Communications & Journalism: Ranked by Graduate Salary, Not Prestige
— ranked by salary, not prestige.

We rank by what graduates actually earn — not by reputation surveys.

01

The ranking

sortable · by salary outcomes
Rank School Salary Accept ROI Verdict
Brown University $62,000 5.2%
REACH
Cornell University $62,000 8.2%
REACH
New York University (NYU) $62,000 9.4%
REACH
04 Northeastern University $62,000 5.7%
REACH
05 Northwestern University $62,000 7.1%
REACH
06 Pomona College $62,000 6.8%
REACH
07 Stanford University $62,000 3.9%
REACH
08 UCLA $62,000 9.0%
REACH
09 University of Pennsylvania $62,000 5.9%
REACH
10 Vanderbilt University $62,000 6.3%
REACH
11 Boston University $58,000 10.8%
REACH
12 Claremont McKenna College $58,000 11.1%
REACH
13 Davidson College $58,000 14.5%
REACH
14 Tulane University $58,000 14.6%
REACH
15 UC Berkeley $58,000 11.7%
REACH
16 USC $58,000 10.0%
REACH
17 Boston College $54,000 15.7%
MATCH
18 Georgia Tech $54,000 16.5%
MATCH
19 University of Miami $54,000 18.5%
MATCH
20 University of Michigan $54,000 17.9%
MATCH
21 University of North Carolina $54,000 18.7%
MATCH
22 University of Virginia $54,000 16.9%
MATCH
23 Vassar College $54,000 17.7%
MATCH
24 Washington and Lee University $54,000 17.4%
MATCH
25 Florida State University $50,000 25.4%
MATCH
26 Texas A&M University $50,000 29.1%
MATCH
27 UC Irvine $50,000 25.6%
MATCH
28 UC San Diego $50,000 24.5%
MATCH
29 UC Santa Barbara $50,000 27.8%
MATCH
30 University of Florida $50,000 24.0%
MATCH

Communications & Journalism Major FAQs

Which college has the highest Communications & Journalism salary?
Brown University Communications & Journalism graduates earn the highest median 4-year-out salary on this list, at $62,000. Salary by program is the most reliable signal for ROI on major choice.
What is the most competitive Communications & Journalism program?
Stanford University is the most selective school on this list with a 3.9% overall acceptance rate. Top programs in Communications & Journalism often admit at significantly lower rates than the school-wide average.
Which colleges have an easier path to study Communications & Journalism?
Among schools on this list, Texas A&M University is the most accessible at a 29.1% acceptance rate. Less selective schools can still produce strong Communications & Journalism grads — what matters is fit, faculty, and your own work.
What GPA do I need for Communications & Journalism programs?
GPA requirements vary widely. Reach schools (acceptance < 20%) typically expect 3.8+ unweighted GPAs with rigorous coursework. Match schools (20-50%) expect 3.3-3.7. Less selective schools may admit at 3.0+. Major-specific admission (engineering, CS, business) is often tougher than the school average.
Should I pick a school based on Communications & Journalism ranking or overall prestige?
Major-specific salary outcomes beat overall school prestige for most career paths. A top program in Communications & Journalism at a less famous school often outperforms a mid-tier program at a brand-name school. The salary table on this page ranks programs by what graduates actually earn, not by reputation surveys.
▎FROM THE DATA TO YOUR LIST

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Data source: IPEDS, College Scorecard.