ROI Major

Journalism at Texas Woman's University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 09.04

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Journalism degree from Texas Woman's University earn a median salary of $54,051 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,687. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.7 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

$35,391

Typical Career

$54,051

Top Performers

$70,298

Estimated break-even: 9.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$360

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,504. Most students can comfortably afford about a $360 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 41.3%
Educational Services 27.0%
Finance & Insurance 4.9%

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

$58,687

Nominal: $54,051 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher 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).

9.7 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 $34,351 $44,129 $57,372
5 Years After Graduation $35,391 $54,051 $70,298
10 Years After Graduation $52,435 $65,986 $81,671

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 $54,051 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $54,051 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $58,687 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Texas Woman's University with a degree in Journalism can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median salary one year after graduation is $44,129, which rises to $54,051 after five years and reaches $65,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation align with a national equivalent of $58,687.3, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive salary relative to the national average despite the cost of living in Texas being slightly lower than the national index.

The primary industries that Journalism graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (41.3%) and Educational Services (27.0%), with a smaller portion in Finance & Insurance (4.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 9.7 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the path may take nearly a decade to yield significant financial advantages, the diverse career opportunities in growing sectors can provide a stable and rewarding career trajectory for graduates.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Journalism degree at Texas Woman's 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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