Bachelor's+20% vs national median2,756 grads tracked
Journalism at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ranked 4th of 127 bachelor's programs in Journalism by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$43,642
middle 50%: $33,571 – $55,361
Median · 5 years out
$70,830
middle 50%: $52,474 – $93,653
Median · 10 years out
$94,456
middle 50%: $65,535 – $139,416
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Journalism (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Journalism alumni from the University of Wisconsin-Madison start at $44k. Salaries increase to $71k at five years and $94k after ten years.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
6.2 yrs
≈ $7,202 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$124,373 · 5 yrs out
Washington and Lee University
$72,181 · 5 yrs out
University of Richmond
$72,014 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Columbia
$68,802 · 5 yrs out
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
$66,847 · 5 yrs out
Quinnipiac University
$66,761 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Stony Brook
$66,726 · 5 yrs out
University of Connecticut
$66,130 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Austin
$65,758 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
$65,552 · 5 yrs out
University of Colorado Boulder
$65,149 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Bloomington
$64,832 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$227,440 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$191,060 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$179,858 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$176,530 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$153,901 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$153,036 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctorate)
$143,232 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's)
$140,310 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$139,926 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$134,767 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$133,218 · 5 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)
$127,595 · 5 yrs out
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