Journalism at Biola University

Biola's journalism graduates earn significantly more than most of their peers—beating 80% of California journalism programs and 94% of programs nationwide. With first-year earnings of $42,000, graduates clear the national median by $7,500 and outpace California's typical journalism graduate by over $10,000. The $27,000 debt load sits well below the national average, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64.

The challenge here is what happens after that first year. Earnings actually slip slightly to $40,000 by year four, which is unusual but not catastrophic in journalism—a field where career paths can be non-linear and many graduates pivot between media, communications, and related fields. This could reflect graduates switching to nonprofit or ministry-focused journalism roles (consistent with Biola's faith-based mission), or simply the volatility of early-career media work.

The critical caveat: these numbers come from a small cohort (under 30 graduates), so one or two outliers could significantly skew the data. That said, even accounting for statistical noise, this program appears to outperform most journalism programs by a substantial margin. For a family concerned about post-graduation employment, Biola's journalism program delivers stronger financial outcomes than the vast majority of alternatives, though the flat earnings trajectory suggests graduates should plan for a longer runway to significant salary growth.