Journalism at University of Richmond

Richmond journalism graduates earn 25% more than the typical journalist nationwide—$43,157 versus a national median of $34,515. That puts this program in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile in Virginia, outperforming even Liberty University, the state's second-highest earner. Combined with below-average debt of just $15,897 (about 35% less than the national median), the typical graduate here carries a debt load equivalent to just 4.5 months of their first-year salary. For a journalism program—a field where many graduates struggle financially—those are exceptional numbers.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual outliers could skew these results considerably. Richmond's highly selective admissions (23% acceptance rate, 1474 average SAT) also suggest these outcomes may reflect the caliber of students as much as the program itself. Nevertheless, the gap between Richmond and other Virginia journalism programs is substantial—$15,000 more than Liberty, nearly $18,000 more than Hampton.

If your child is already competitive for Richmond's selective admissions and genuinely committed to journalism, this program offers unusually strong financial positioning for the field. Just recognize you're looking at a limited data snapshot, and individual results will vary more than usual.