Journalism at Eastern Nazarene College

With median Massachusetts journalism programs suggesting first-year earnings around $39,700, this field faces an uphill battle from the start—that figure barely clears what you'd make managing a retail store. The estimated debt of roughly $25,000 isn't catastrophic, and at 0.62 times first-year earnings, it sits within manageable territory. But here's the reality check: journalism salaries tend to grow slowly, and starting near $40,000 in the Boston area means your graduate will likely need roommates and a tight budget for years.

The fact that Eastern Nazarene's data is suppressed due to small graduate numbers should itself signal something. Journalism is a field where who you know and what clips you build matter enormously, and larger programs like Northeastern or BU offer both bigger alumni networks and internship pipelines that can make a meaningful difference in breaking into competitive markets. Those schools' graduates do see higher first-year earnings, though even Boston University's $42,857 isn't exactly comfortable living in Massachusetts.

If your child is committed to journalism despite its financial realities, they need a clear plan: specific beats they're passionate about, internships starting freshman year, and real talk about backup career paths in communications or public relations where the same skills command better pay. The debt here won't bury them, but the career trajectory requires eyes wide open.