Journalism at Lincoln University

Lincoln University's journalism program reports starting salaries of $26,356—about $9,000 below Missouri's median for journalism graduates and nearly $8,000 below the national benchmark. Even among Missouri's 12 journalism programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile. Meanwhile, graduates carry $34,532 in debt, which exceeds both state and national medians by significant margins. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.31 means graduates owe more than they'll earn in their entire first year, creating immediate financial pressure in a field not known for high starting salaries.

The contrast with University of Missouri-Columbia's journalism program—which produces graduates earning $43,958—is particularly stark, though admittedly MU's program has national recognition. Still, paying above-average debt for below-average outcomes creates a challenging financial equation, especially for the 46% of students here receiving Pell grants who likely have limited family resources to cushion the transition.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift with more data, but the gap is too wide to dismiss. If journalism is the goal, exploring other Missouri programs or considering whether this specific investment makes sense given the debt load would be prudent. The financial math here doesn't work in graduates' favor based on current data.