Communication, Journalism, at Benedictine College

Benedictine College's journalism program sits in an unusual position: it ranks 60th percentile among Kansas programs yet only 28th percentile nationally. This apparent contradiction stems from Kansas having just two reporting schools for this major, making the state comparison less meaningful. What matters more is that graduates earn about $4,000 below the national median while carrying slightly above-average debt.

The debt picture deserves closer attention. At $27,000, it ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of comparable programs saddle students with more debt. Combined with first-year earnings of $30,238, the debt-to-income ratio of 0.89 is manageable, roughly equivalent to borrowing less than a year's salary. That's a better starting position than most journalism graduates face nationally, even if the earnings themselves are modest.

The major caveat: this program has fewer than 30 recent graduates in the data, so these figures could shift significantly year to year. Still, for families specifically drawn to Benedictine's Catholic liberal arts environment, the controlled debt load offers some financial protection in a field notorious for low early-career pay. Just understand you're accepting below-average journalism earnings—not because this program underperforms Kansas schools, but because Kansas journalism salaries trail the national market.