Journalism at State University of New York at Plattsburgh

SUNY Plattsburgh's journalism program produces earnings that land right at New York's median for the field—$32,456 one year out—but with notably lower debt than most state competitors. At $23,125, graduates here borrow about $2,000 less than the typical New York journalism student, giving this program a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 that's manageable compared to many media careers. The 60th percentile ranking among New York programs is solid for a regional state school, especially when elite private options like Syracuse and Fordham dominate the top spots with earnings in the low $40,000s.

The caveat matters here: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these figures could shift considerably year to year. That said, journalism salaries are notoriously compressed across institutions—there's only a $10,000 spread between SUNY Plattsburgh and Syracuse four years out. The 9% earnings growth to $35,337 by year four is modest but typical for a field where early-career roles at local news outlets or communications departments rarely offer steep salary trajectories.

For families seeking affordable entry into journalism without drowning in private school debt, this program delivers reasonable value. You're getting professional training at state school prices with debt levels that won't force your graduate into abandoning the field for higher-paying work. Just understand the small sample size means less certainty about outcomes than programs with larger graduating classes.