by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. We've also included details on how WKU ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in journalism.
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The bachelor's program at WKU was ranked #89 on College Factual's Best Schools for journalism list. It is also ranked #2 in Kentucky.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 87 |
| Best Journalism Schools | 89 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Western Kentucky University handed out 59 bachelor's degrees in journalism. This is a decrease of 9% over the previous year when 65 degrees were handed out.
Journalism majors who earn their bachelor's degree from WKU go on to jobs where they make a median salary of $35,050 a year. This is higher than $34,515, which is the national median for all journalism bachelor's degree recipients.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WKU, journalism students borrow a median amount of $29,904 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all journalism bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $36,539.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the journalism program at WKU is $345 per month.
Out-of-state part-time undergraduates at WKU paid an average of $1,125 per credit hour in 2022-2023. The average for in-state students was $477 per credit hour. The following table shows the average full-time tuition and fees for undergraduates.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,436 | $27,000 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $12,043 | $12,043 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $2,409 | $2,409 |
Learn more about WKU tuition and fees.
The journalism program at WKU awarded 59 bachelor's degrees in 2021-2022. About 44% of these degrees went to men with the other 56% going to women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at WKU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 86% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's in journalism.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 3 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3 |
| White | 51 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 2 |
Online degrees for the WKU journalism bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WKU Online Learning page.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the journalism majors at Western Kentucky University.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Relations & Advertising | 135 |
| Communication & Media Studies | 48 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 25 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.