In a “FakeNews” world, why would anyone want to go into journalism? After all, the industry has been largely discredited. It’s definitely not an easy path to riches. Plus, if you tell the truth at most papers, you’re most likely to be shown the door. If you understand all this, however, and still feel that pressing, noble calling to tell the truth to a weary world that hates you, then you just might have what it takes to enroll in one of our 10 best journalism schools.
Journalism FAQ
We asked the noted journalists on our own staff to shed some light on frequently asked questions most new journalism students have. After sitting down with them, we’re pleased to present their insights with you!
1. How Much of the News Is True?
It may shock you to know that most of the news you read, watch, or hear is often a highly entertaining story but is very loosely based on reality.
One of the biggest reasons for this is explained by the traditional journalism mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads.” This basically means that in order to sell “papes,” you’ve got to exaggerate just a little to ensure that you have exciting drama to sell to readers. Otherwise, they’ll be bored with your headlines and won’t be inclined to buy them. Most of the schools on this list won’t tell you this, namely because they don’t want to discourage you from going into their journalism program and spending money on classes.
2. What’s the Purpose of Journalism?
Allegedly, journalism’s purpose is to keep an eye on all aspects of government and public life, thereby promoting integrity through greater transparency. In effect, however, news—including broadcast, print, and web—does not serve these purposes primarily. Sadly, even our 10 best journalism schools veer toward opinions which prevent the unbiased, accurate truth from coming through in a story.
That is because the journalism industry thrives the most when America is suffering. In other words, a thriving America makes for a boring story, so journalists have a vested interest in American tragedy. Without tragedy, there is no drama, and without drama, there is no news. To summarize, the purpose of journalism, like that of other industries, is to make money. And while journalists don’t necessarily enjoy causing problems for America, news isn’t profitable unless there’s a problem to report.
3. What Jobs Will I Be Able to Get with My Journalism Major?
It’s never been a crazier job market. Across all industries, colleges like the 10 best journalism schools are flooding the market with candidates. So if you desire to succeed in the field itself, you’re going to have to be the best at what you do.
You also have to personally subscribe to a rather liberal political agenda and be willing to promote it 24/7. If you’re not willing to push the agenda of your boss, you’ll probably end up writing articles like this for about $5 an hour. Don’t ask us how we know.
4. How Do I Choose the Best Journalism School for Me?
Like any educational experience, journalism school is what you make of it. As with any college search, choosing the right one is a mix of searching for an experience that matches your values as well as choosing the place that will best equip you to succeed. And by the way, we won’t be offended if you pick another school that didn’t make our 10 best journalism schools list.
Any of the 10 best journalism schools on this list have the potential to help connect you with the right people to shoot you to the top of your news organization, but keep in mind that many attempt to succeed and few actually make it. Those who do are often unhappy and wish they could make money doing something else, but by then it’s too late.
How We Reviewed the 10 Best Journalism Schools
We checked out the campuses, the lessons, the internship programs, and the overall reputation within the journalism industry. The resulting list we’ve compiled for you are the 10 best journalism schools according to those in the industry who know. We consulted hiring managers, industry insiders we just happen to know, and journalists out there pounding the pavement in the real world to come up with this list that they all think will position you for a career.
How Much Do the 10 Best Journalism Schools Cost?
Be prepared to shell out a ton of cash. We mean upwards of $200K. Sure, you can take out loans, but be forewarned that the debt collectors are merciless, so borrow wisely. Remember, you’ll pay now or pay later. Many journalism majors end up waiting tables. The approximate costs for each school below generally do not figure in room & board or any applicable activities or lab fees. Again, these costs are all estimates.
What We Reviewed
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts
Program Description
Although Emerson might not be an instantly recognizable name nationally, within Boston, Massachusetts, it’s known as something of a top communications school. It’s also known for churning out starving artists – you know, like that social justice warrior in Rent who was always filming everything. Did we mention that rent in Boston is not cheap? To be fair, the field of journalism is not for the faint of heart. Those who attend know what they’re signing up for.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Emerson’s tuition was about $46K/year in the 2018-2019 academic year.
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Program Description
Don’t mess with Texas, and definitely don’t mess with the Moody College of Communication at UT at Austin! The website boasts, “The world converges here.” The UT at Austin Communications program boasts real, comprehensive breadth endorsed by many leading publications in the communications world.
Perhaps none of these accolades is higher than USA Today’s having ranked UT@A the #2 Best Journalism Program in the United States in 2015. The college scored big again in 2017 when Testive granted it #3 status in the category of Best Journalism School for Undergrads. Needless to say, the journalism world and everyone else has noticed how UT@A is shaking up the field.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
If you’re a Texas resident, tuition for the ’18-19 school year only cost you just over $10,500. If you’re an out-of-stater, you’re paying a relatively modest $39K/yr.
University of Missouri – Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Program Description
The School of Journalism at University of Missouri is committed to practical experiences. That’s important since real-world journalism is so different from the classroom and the media lab. The University of Missouri stresses global reporting with features like KBIA-FM, the school’s own NPR affiliate station. The school even owns a commercial television station which is an affiliate of a major network. Talk about practical experience!
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
The latest tuition figures available to us pegged Missouri residents at $11,252 for tuition, and non-residents at $27,090—both per year. As a reminder, we’re not including room, board, and other miscellaneous fees that can sometimes add to the cost of education.
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Program Description
The Medill School of Journalism promises to help you stay atop the unprecedented changes in the evolving media industry. Its brand of journalism is hardly objective, though. It has become infamous, even in the media, for the Innocence Project which advocated the freeing of inmates from death row.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Be prepared to spend as much as $65K a year on tuition, by the 2018-’19 figures.
New York University
New York, New York
Program Description
Many schools talk about having a great academic reputation. NYU is synonymous with artistic greatness in a way that few other names are. NYU doesn’t have to talk about their reputation because they’ve got it. In particular, our editorial staff appreciates that NYU professor, Neil Postman, wrote the landmark media theory book Amusing Ourselves To Death which demonstrates a thorough understanding of the very nature of media that few have.
We’re not sure how true NYU has remained to Dr. Postman’s brilliant deconstruction of the cult of media that we all belong to in this day and age. However, we know that some of the most successful players in the media industry have come out of NYU. It may not be a stretch to call NYU the Julliard of all things media. No matter what you believe about the media, if you desire to be a part of it in any way, cash spent here is a good investment by any historical indicators.
Part of one of the most prestigious schools in one of the most prestigious cities, the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute may not be famous in its own right, but the NYU brand, if nothing else, carries it far. We couldn’t leave it off our list of the 10 best journalism schools.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Be prepared to spend upwards of $50K per year on tuition alone.
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Program Description
Our editorial staff is intimately familiar with Boston University, which is generally considered a rather pedestrian educational institution. BU girls provide hours of experience for inexperienced MIT nerds and thereby prevent them from turning into Mark Zuckerberg. After all, it’s a product of its environment—one of the most biased journalism communities in the country.
But it makes our list of the 10 best journalism schools because BU is a gigantic school for such a small town, despite the fact it’s gotten involved with a former Boston Globe editor. If you know anything about the Globe, biased reporting is basically its middle name. That said, we love it anyway, and hey, if you can’t figure out where to go, pick BU because everyone else is doing it. Speaking of which, BU went generic with the name: it’s called the BU College of Communication.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Students paid about $53K for the 2018-2019 academic year in tuition alone, but fees add a significant portion here not to be ignored. Boston gets more expensive every year with no slowdown in sight.
University of Maryland – College Park
College Park, Maryland
Program Description
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland is serious about journalism. Internship opportunities abound, particularly with their new Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, and Washington, D.C. is just a stone’s throw away.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
2018-2019 tuition teetered around just $11K (not including other costs) for Maryland residents. Non-residents paid about $36K in tuition for the same school year.
George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
Program Description
The School of Media and Public Affairs functions under the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and advertises that, as a student, you will study with award-winning journalists in what it calls “the world’s most newsworthy city.”
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Expect tuition to start at $55K/year.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Program Description
The Annenberg School for Journalism has invested in state-of-the-art labs which emulate agencies at the forefront of the broadcast and cable news games today. Also, USC is one of the most well-reputed private universities in the United States today.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
Students paid tuition totaling $56K for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
Program Description
Our editorial department is sure fond of Boston, Massachusetts as a destination for journalism schools. We can’t state enough that Boston is a culture that lends itself to extremely opinionated reporting compared to the rest of the nation, and this has a big impact on the way journalism is taught anywhere in Boston. While Boston journalism schools may not necessarily be as objective as most, they certainly are sensational, like the history of journalism itself.
Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media and Design, including The School of Journalism, isn’t necessarily looking to set any records, but rather to “keep pace with the way news is delivered and consumed in today’s digital age.” That’s the official line, anyhow. What does set Northeastern University apart is its plethora of cooperative business apprenticeship-like experiences and internships.
PROS
PROS
CONS
Tuition
$51,000 is what Northeastern students paid for the privilege of attending this year—and that was only the tuition.
The Verdict
We report, you decide! But seriously, making the choice of which journalism program to enroll in is a complicated one involving your much larger goals. Thoroughly investigate every single school you’re seriously considering, and once you’ve decided, don’t let anything stop you from enrolling in any one of our 10 best journalism schools!