Whether you are into investigative journalism, politics, fashion, or even Hollywood gossip, journalism is a fun path to explore your passion. It is necessary to have a graduate degree to succeed in this path. A graduate degree arms you with fantastic resources and launches your career forward. But it is difficult to find which university offers the best journalism program. But don’t worry about it that is my job for you. In this article, I have enlisted the top 10 journalism programs that will help you bag a career for aspiring writers, reporters as well as editors.
All the schools are handpicked considering their reputation, career preparation, class options, and internship opportunities. It is also pertinent to note that Journalism ranks #62 out of 368 on the popularity of all such degrees in the United States of America. Moreover, it is also essential for the university which offers the degree program to be accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). So what are we waiting for? Let us dive into it!
Table of Contents
Northwestern University
Founded in 1921, Northwestern University is considered to be the best choice for journalism. You can count more than 30 Pulitzer Prize winners as part of Northwestern’s alumni, and it is undoubtedly one of the first-class universities in America. The Graduate degrees in journalism vary from 8 months to one year.
One of the most incredible things about doing your journalism degree in these universities is you will get the opportunity to do your internship at Northwestern’s Chicago and Washington D.C. newsrooms. In addition, you will get to learn through actual world events and gain a greater perspective on the industry.
Founded In: 1851
Tuition: $78654(before aid)
ACT Avg- 33
SAT Avg– 1440
Acceptance Rate: 9.1%
GPA: 3.7
Rank: #1
Contact: +1 847-491-3741
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri hails itself as having the first and one of the best schools for journalism in the world, established in 1908. Journalism is given through a complete practical hands-on experience. The program is highly recommended.
Mizzou also offers two different paths to a master’s degree: a traditional two-year program attending classes on campus or an online master’s degree. You can choose the option which is comfortable for you. In addition, Missouri offers a doctor of philosophy in journalism degree. The first of which was awarded in 1934. The program takes 3 years.
Founded In: 1839
Tuition: $27,197 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 24
SAT Avg– 1160
Acceptance Rate: 81%
GPA: 3.4
Rank: #2
Contact: +1 573-882-2121
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Arizona State University
One of the first-class universities- Arizona State University is located in Tempe, AZ. If you are into sports journalism, this program offered by the university is highly recommended. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications offers a master’s degree in sports journalism as well as mass communication.
The program teaches classic reporting skills as well as the use of modern technology and new media. They offer the best practical approach towards the journalism degree. It also comes with fancy internship opportunities to get hands-on experience.
Founded In: 1885
Tuition: $29,103 (before aid)
ACT Avg– N/A
SAT Avg– N/A
Acceptance Rate: 86%
GPA: 3.0
Rank: #3
Contact: (855) 278-5080
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Georgetown University
Georgetown University offers one of the most popular journalism programs in Washington DC. It is not a usual university; it ranks #18 out of 2,576 schools nationwide and it has a stellar reputation for providing the best journalism and mass communications program.
The university has a great gender distribution but lacks diversity. Women and men have an equal amount of balance in this degree. It is a popular university for its magnificent research and education. Georgetown is not an Ivy League school, but it is often considered on a par with the Ivies.
Founded In: 1789
Tuition: $76,280 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 31
SAT Avg– 1380
Acceptance Rate: 14%
GPA: 3.6
Rank: #4
Contact: +1 202-687-0100
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the first-class universities from NY.there is a total of three programs i.e. the Master of Arts in Journalism, Master of Science in Journalism, Master of Science in Data Journalism. It is a great university for having a good campus life.
The campus also has good diversity to achieve a fantastic understanding of other cultures and ethnicities. Columbia is able to place students in some of the best journalism fellowships in the country. So the internship opportunities are fantastic in this program.
Founded In: 1754
Tuition: $79,752 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 34
SAT Avg– 1580
Acceptance Rate: 5%
GPA: 3.9
Rank: #5
Contact: +1 212-854-1754
Financial Aid: Click here for more details.
Apply for Admission
University of California-Berkeley
The Master in Journalism (MJ) program at Berkeley requires a rigorous academic commitment. If you are ready for a challenging program, this is a great program. The curriculum includes a required summer internship to ensure students are practicing.
The internship opportunities are given at the great media houses. The programs such as Audio Documentary, Narrative writing, New media, Photo-journalism, and Video journalism are some of the popular programs. The university is highly recommended.
Founded In: 1868
Tuition: $39,376 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 29
SAT Avg– 1330
Acceptance Rate: 16%
GPA: 3.86
Rank: #6
Contact: +1 510-642-6000
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Newyork University
The reason why this university is first-class is Current faculty members have written books, published acclaimed papers and magazines, and produced documentaries for organizations like the National Public Radio. So the credibility of this program is sky-high.
Students have the chance to pair their 16-months of coursework with publication opportunities so you don’t have to spend a lot of months in the university. The Reuter-NABJ Fellowship will have great internship opportunities for you.
Founded In: 1831
Tuition: $75,502 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 30
SAT Avg– 1350
Acceptance Rate: 16%
GPA: 3.5
Rank: #7
Contact: +1 212-998-6410
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Stanford University
Considered to be one of the best Ivy League universities, Stanford University is a first-class university. Journalism and data technology students might enjoy its multimedia data approach. It is difficult to get into Stanford but if you do, it is going to be a very successful career ahead.
To get a complete understanding of the nuances of the subject, At the end of the program, all students complete a master’s project. Students choose subject areas to develop long-term stories and critique them at length. The campus occupies 8,180 acres, among the largest in the United States.
Founded In: 1885
Tuition: $74,570 (before aid)
ACT Avg- 33
SAT Avg– 1510
Acceptance Rate: 4%
GPA: 3.88
Rank: #8
Contact: +1 650-723-2300
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Maryland-College Park is a great underrated university that can change your life. It is research-oriented, culminating in a thesis. Students complete classes on theory and methods. This program requires past experience. So if you have no undergrad degree, you can’t take this program.
If you are planning to take this program, it would have a lot of benefits. A semester in the award-winning Howard Center for Investigative Journalism is also available. The university is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Founded In: 1856
Tuition: $27,866 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 29
SAT Avg- 1280
Acceptance Rate: 44%
GPA: 3.5
Rank: #9
Contact: +1 301-405-1000
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
Apply for Admission
Syracuse University
Last but not the least; Syracuse University can be a great choice if you like studying in a laid-back university. It is not the same investigative journalism they teach, you can take the less intense Music Theatre Film Visual arts Television Popular culture Fashion Architecture, and design.
Students will anchor, report, shoot and produce during their course of the program. There is something called a capstone project which includes creating and launching a digital publication on a responsively designed website, working on enterprise reporting projects, or completing a professional internship.
Founded In: 1831
Tuition: $73,069 (before aid)
ACT Avg– 26
SAT Avg- 1180
Acceptance Rate: 44%
GPA: 3.2
Rank: #10
Contact: +1 315-443-1870
Financial Aid: Click here for detailed information.
