Journalism at Mercer University

Mercer's journalism graduates carry moderate debt but face earnings that trail both UGA and Georgia College by $4,000-$6,000 annually. At $32,807 in first-year earnings, this program sits squarely in the middle of Georgia's journalism schools—outperforming larger programs like Georgia State and Kennesaw, but falling short of the state's top-tier options. The debt load of $26,000 is actually below the national average for journalism programs, resulting in a manageable 0.79 debt-to-earnings ratio that compares favorably to many peers.

The real consideration here is whether Mercer's smaller program (fewer than 30 graduates in the data) offers enough networking and career placement advantages to justify choosing it over UGA's larger, better-connected program that delivers $3,800 more in starting earnings. Journalism is notoriously tough financially in the early years regardless of where you study, but graduates here aren't saddled with crushing debt that would make the lean years unbearable.

For families already drawn to Mercer's liberal arts environment and smaller class sizes, this journalism program won't derail career plans—the debt is reasonable and earnings are competitive within Georgia. But if your student is purely optimizing for journalism outcomes and considering multiple Georgia schools, the data suggests looking closely at UGA or Georgia College first.