by our College Data Analytics TeamBroadcast Journalism was the 457th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 881 degrees in this year alone. This 39 less than the prior year, a decrease of 4.4%.
Our 2023 Best Broadcast Journalism Schools ranking analyzes 27 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for broadcast journalism students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of broadcast journalism programs later in this article.
A major in broadcast journalism prepares you for careers in which understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is crucial. Talking to others to convey information effectively and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional broadcast journalism certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different broadcast journalism degree levels. You can get anything from a in broadcast journalism to the highest broadcast journalism degree, a . How long it takes to complete some common broadcast journalism degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to broadcast journalism, with approximately 59.3% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for broadcast journalism workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 60.1% |
| Master’s Degree | 16.4% |
| Some College Courses | 6.9% |
| High School Diploma | 4.8% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 4.7% |
83.0% of broadcast journalism workers have at least a bachelor's. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in broadcast journalism have received.
The education level required is different depending on the broadcast journalism career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your broadcast journalism degree? Broadcast Journalism careers are expected to grow 0.6% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to broadcast journalism.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Writers and Authors | 141,200 | 7.6% |
| Editors | 125,600 | -1.4% |
| Reporters and Correspondents | 40,200 | -10.1% |
| Communications Professors | 37,500 | 10.0% |
| Radio and Television Announcers | 36,500 | -11.6% |
As you might expect, salaries for broadcast journalism graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for broadcast journalism graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers broadcast journalism grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Broadcast News Analysts | $91,990 |
| Communications Professors | $78,090 |
| Writers and Authors | $73,090 |
| Editors | $69,480 |
| Reporters and Correspondents | $55,530 |
With over 104 different broadcast journalism degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased broadcast journalism school rankings to help you with this.
One of 5 majors within the Journalism area of study, Broadcast Journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Journalism | 11,380 |
| Other Journalism | 1,134 |
| Photojournalism | 144 |
| Business and Economic Journalism | 7 |
| Science/Health/Environmental Journalism | 6 |
