Best Journalism Schools and Colleges

Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in journalism are offered at schools and colleges across the nation. These programs may focus on newspapers, television, and radio broadcasting as well as other forms of mass communications. The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications accredits more than 100 programs nationwide.

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Top Schools and Colleges for Journalism

1.Northwestern University in Evanston, IL

Northwestern University is a 4-year, private school with a total enrollment of approximately 21,000 students, about 9,500 of them undergraduates. The school, located just north of Chicago, IL, was ranked 12th in the nation in 2012 by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1921, the Medill School of Journalism offers a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ) and a 1-year Master of Science in Journalism (MSJ). Students learn about ethics, quantitative skills, and multimedia storytelling, and undergraduates begin honing hands-on reporting experiences as early as their sophomore year. Undergraduates gain experience in print, web, broadcast, and digital media, and they can participate in the school's internationals residency reporting programs. Graduate students can specialize in magazine writing and editing, reporting, interactive publishing, or videography and broadcast journalism.

2. University of Maryland - College Park

This suburban-set public school, established in 1856, is the flagship school of the University of Maryland system. There are about 38,000 students enrolled, about 27,000 of them undergraduates. In 2012, it ranked 17th among top public schools and 8th among up-and-coming schools according to U.S. News and World Report. The Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers Bachelor of Arts, Master of Journalism, Master of Arts in Journalism, and Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism degrees. Students typically learn news writing, reporting and how to produce and edit content in various media. The highly-competitive master's degree programs accept only 18 students per Fall and Spring semesters. Qualified applicants to the Ph.D. program may have the master's degree prerequisite waived. Journalism students can participate in the Capital News Service, a daily wire service, and the school's cable television station.

3. Columbia University in New York, NY

Columbia University is the only Ivy League school offering a graduate program in journalism. U.S. News and World Report ranked Columbia 4th among national universities in 2012. The school was established in 1754. There are about 26,000 students enrolled overall, with about 8,000 of them being undergraduates. Students attending this urban nonprofit school in New York City can earn Master of Science, Master of Arts, or Ph.D. degrees in journalism. There are also dual degree and study abroad options.

List of Good Journalism Schools and Colleges

School Name Distinction Location
Columbia University School confers Cabot Prizes, Alfred I. du Pont-Columbia Awards and Pulitzer Prizes in journalism New York, NY
Indiana University - Bloomington Small journalism classes are held in lab and seminar format Bloomington, IN
Northwestern University The journalism school sponsors several journalism awards Evanston, IL
Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism offers six undergraduate journalism tracks: news writing and editing, broadcast news, magazine journalism, advertising, online journalism, and public relations Athens, OH
Syracuse University Offers 30-credit military visual journalism program for active duty members of U.S. Military Syracuse, NY
The University of Georgia Home to James M. Cox Institute for Newspaper Management, Michael Faherty Broadcast Management Laboratory, New Media Institute and the Southern Center for Communication, Health and Poverty Athens, GA
The University of Kansas Accredited by Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications since 1948 Lawrence, KS
University of Maryland - College Park Merrill College of Journalism hosts Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, International Center for Media and the Public Agenda and the Journalism Center on Children and Families College Park, MD
University of Missouri Offers more than two dozen undergraduate interest areas in journalism, more than 20 2-year master's degree models and two online master's models Columbia, MO
University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is home to Knight Digital Media Center, the Annenberg Program on Online Communities, and the California HealthCare Foundation Center for Health Reporting Los Angeles, CA
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10 Popular Schools

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