ROI Major

Journalism at Quinnipiac University

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 09.04

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Journalism degree from Quinnipiac University earn a median salary of $66,761 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,902. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$51,528

Typical Career

$66,761

Top Performers

$85,430

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$445

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,563. Most students can comfortably afford about a $445 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.9%
Educational Services 10.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$57,902

Nominal: $66,761 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

7.3 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $28,812 $39,119 $50,357
5 Years After Graduation $51,528 $66,761 $85,430
10 Years After Graduation $64,085 $92,521 $124,051

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $66,761 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $66,761 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $57,902 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from Quinnipiac University's Journalism program can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,119, which increases to $66,761 five years post-graduation, and reaches $92,521 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $57,901.99 nationally, reflecting the impact of Connecticut's higher cost of living index (1.153) compared to the national average (1.0).

In terms of career placement, the top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (31.8%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.9%), and Educational Services (10.3%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.3 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for pursuing a degree in Journalism at Quinnipiac University. This suggests that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and diverse career opportunities can justify the educational investment.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Journalism degree at Quinnipiac University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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