Journalism at Boston University

Boston University journalism graduates earn $42,857 in their first year—substantially above both the national median ($34,515) and the state median ($39,703). This puts BU in the 95th percentile nationally among journalism programs, though only the 60th percentile within Massachusetts, where the field skews higher thanks to the Boston media market. The real standout here is the earnings trajectory: graduates see a 37% jump to $58,645 by year four, suggesting they're landing at outlets with real advancement potential rather than getting stuck in entry-level roles.

The debt picture is reasonable for journalism, a field notorious for low starting pay. At $24,813, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58, meaning they owe about seven months of their first-year salary. That's manageable, especially given the strong earning trajectory. For context, BU trails Northeastern's journalism program by about $9,000 in first-year earnings, but BU graduates carry significantly less debt than the private school average.

The bottom line: If your child is serious about journalism and can get into BU (11% admission rate), this program delivers stronger-than-typical outcomes for a notoriously challenging field. The combination of respectable debt levels and meaningful salary growth suggests graduates are building sustainable media careers, not just cobbling together freelance work. Just understand that even at the top of the field, journalism doesn't match the earning potential of business or STEM degrees.