Top Journalism Programs in the Midwest by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Journalism Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 47 Journalism programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Journalism graduates four years after completing. University of Wisconsin-Madison leads the list at $75,967, followed by University of Missouri-Columbia at $69,016 and Creighton University at $67,808.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $51,280, with a spread of $50,000 from $75,967 to $25,967. For 8 of the 47 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 81% of the list, with 38 public and 9 private nonprofit schools represented. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Oakland University posts the lowest average net price at $9,120.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $75,967 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison reports $75,967 in median earnings for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $69,016 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| With a cohort of 390 graduates, University of Missouri-Columbia ranks 2nd on this list and posts median earnings of $69,016 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Creighton University · Omaha, NE | $67,808 | $31,568 | $20,472 | 79.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Omaha, Creighton University posts an admission rate of 80% and median earnings of $67,808 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $67,539 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign carries an average net price of $2,038 for families earning under $30,000, the lowest such figure on the page. | |||||
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $66,799 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| Median earnings of $66,799 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing coincide with an average net price of $16,778 at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. | |||||
| 6 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $63,322 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University ranks 6th on this list, and its Journalism completers who borrowed left with a median of $25,155 in federal loans. | |||||
| 7 | Drake University · Des Moines, IA | $62,969 | $29,127 | $25,824 | 63.9% |
| Drake University admits 64% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 8 | University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS | $62,394 | $18,059 | $12,544 | 93.5% |
| University of Kansas reports median earnings of $62,394 four years after completing, with 217 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 9 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $61,708 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
| DePaul University ranks 9th on this list and posts an average net price of $27,359 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $60,974 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford shows an admission rate of 75% and median earnings of $60,974 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $59,498 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Journalism completers who borrowed left with a median of $23,547 in federal loans. | |||||
| 12 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $59,276 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $59,276 four years after completing, with an average net price of $21,637. | |||||
| 13 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $59,151 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington ranks 13th on this list, with median earnings of $59,151 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $57,407 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| A private nonprofit university in Chicago, Loyola University Chicago posts an average net price of $36,079 and median earnings of $57,407 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $56,933 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa admits 84% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $23,957 among Journalism completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $56,418 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| With a cohort of 82 graduates, Kansas State University reports median earnings of $56,418 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $55,641 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University ranks 137th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $19,398. | |||||
| 18 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $54,188 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University reports median earnings of $54,188 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,766. | |||||
| 19 | Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL | $54,038 | $12,786 | $9,828 | 65.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $21,500 in federal loans at Eastern Illinois University, which ranks 19th on this list. | |||||
| 20 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $53,633 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University admits 89% of applicants and reports median earnings of $53,633 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE | $53,618 | $17,747 | $12,751 | 87.5% |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln ranks 21st on this list, with an average net price of $17,747 and a cohort of 72 graduates. | |||||
| 22 | University of Nebraska at Kearney · Kearney, NE | $51,659 | $16,242 | $13,066 | 89.5% |
| Median federal debt among Journalism completers who borrowed is $22,602 at University of Nebraska at Kearney, which reports median earnings of $51,659 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Columbia College Chicago · Chicago, IL | $51,639 | $26,598 | $20,924 | 89.5% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Columbia College Chicago ranks 1094th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 24 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $51,280 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus posts median earnings of $51,280 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing and admits 61% of applicants. | |||||
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $50,970 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater reports median earnings of $50,970 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,158. | |||||
| 26 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $50,658 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University admits 70% of applicants and ranks 116th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $49,880 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduates left with a median of $21,269 in federal loans among Journalism completers who borrowed, and the program's earnings cohort numbered 15 graduates. | |||||
| 28 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $49,842 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
| Kent State University at Kent ranks 28th on this list, with an average net price of $15,280 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | Ball State University · Muncie, IN | $49,456 | $14,940 | $7,834 | 85.5% |
| Ball State University posts median earnings of $49,456 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 85 graduates. | |||||
| 30 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · Oshkosh, WI | $48,935 | $14,305 | $9,236 | 86.5% |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh carries a median federal debt of $21,500 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Journalism graduates earn a median of $48,935 four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $48,803 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus admits 81% of applicants and reports an average net price of $24,022. | |||||
| 32 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $48,331 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranks 250th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Journalism completers who borrowed left with a median of $25,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 33 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI | $48,173 | $16,550 | $10,270 | 82.3% |
| An average net price of $10,270 for families earning under $30,000 is reported by University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, whose Journalism graduates earn $48,173 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $48,113 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis ranks 34th on this list and carries an average net price of $11,668. | |||||
| 35 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $47,775 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University graduates left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans among Journalism completers who borrowed, and the program's median earnings four years after completing are $47,775. | |||||
| 36 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $46,680 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University admits 88% of applicants and ranks 147th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 37 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $45,245 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University reports median earnings of $45,245 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,407. | |||||
| 38 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $42,478 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth admits 89% of applicants and its Journalism completers who borrowed left with a median of $22,750 in federal debt. | |||||
| 39 | Central State University · Wilberforce, OH | $36,311 | $13,096 | $19,581 | 98.6% |
| Central State University ranks 39th on this list and carries an average net price of $19,581 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 40 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI | $34,704 | $14,054 | $8,472 | 81.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls posts median earnings of $34,704 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $14,054. | |||||
| 41 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND | $31,133 | $15,543 | $9,370 | 95.0% |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ranks 367th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an admission rate of 95%. | |||||
| 42 | Webster University · Saint Louis, MO | $30,409 | $27,047 | $22,359 | 86.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in Saint Louis, Webster University shows median earnings of $30,409 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 43 | South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD | $30,119 | $19,841 | $14,266 | 98.3% |
| South Dakota State University has an admission rate of 98% and an average net price of $14,266 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 44 | Minnesota State University Moorhead · Moorhead, MN | $29,685 | $17,997 | $11,129 | 58.8% |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 10 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 45 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $29,461 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
| Bradley University ranks 45th on this list and posts an average net price of $17,269 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 46 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $27,377 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield posts an average net price of $17,613 and median earnings of $27,377 for its Journalism graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 47 | The University of Olivet · Olivet, MI | $25,967 | $21,393 | $19,656 | 83.3% |
| The University of Olivet ranks 1165th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Journalism graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 8 of the 47 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from top to bottom is $50,000, with University of Wisconsin-Madison reporting $75,967 and the lowest-ranked program at $25,967.