Journalism education statistics show how programs are teaching emerging reporting methods, how many students remain in their majors, and what happens after graduation. The figures below cover U.S. programs, selected university cohorts, and specific measurement periods reported by Columbia Journalism School, NYU Journalism, the Missouri School of Journalism, the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
Contents
- Data and multimedia instruction
- How many programs teach data journalism
- NYU undergraduate enrollment and progression
- NYU master’s enrollment and outcomes
- Missouri retention, graduation, and career outcomes
- Accreditation and program scale
Data and multimedia instruction
Columbia Journalism School’s Teaching Data and Computational Journalism report analyzed 113 journalism programs in the United States, including Puerto Rico. The study collected 63 syllabi for courses covering data-driven journalism, computational journalism, data visualization, and related methods. It also included interviews with more than 50 professors and professional journalists, conversations with 10 students or recent graduates, attendance at 9 classes, and participation in 3 massive open online courses.
The report’s accreditation sample included 4 programs with provisional ACEJMC accreditation; the remainder were fully accredited. These figures describe the report’s sample and research process rather than every journalism program in the country.
Multimedia instruction was widespread in the sample. Columbia reported that 93 of the 113 programs offered multimedia instruction such as website design, blogging, or web video. The average program offered 3 multimedia classes.
The same report identified a smaller footprint for dedicated data journalism instruction. Fifty-nine of the 113 programs offered at least one data journalism class. Among those 59 programs, the average was 2.8 data journalism classes and the median was 2. Across all 113 programs, including programs with no standalone class, the average was 1.4 data journalism classes.
How many programs teach data journalism
The distribution of data journalism offerings helps put those averages in context. Of the 59 programs that offered data journalism, 27 offered exactly 1 course, 14 offered 2 classes, and 18 offered 3 or more classes. The report also counted 54 of the 113 programs with no standalone data journalism class.
| Data-journalism measure | Programs or average | Source and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Programs analyzed | 113 | Columbia Journalism School report; U.S., including Puerto Rico |
| Programs offering data journalism | 59 | Columbia Journalism School report |
| Programs with no standalone data journalism class | 54 | Columbia Journalism School report |
| Average classes among programs offering data journalism | 2.8 | Columbia Journalism School report |
| Median classes among programs offering data journalism | 2 | Columbia Journalism School report |
| Average classes across all programs | 1.4 | Columbia Journalism School report |
The report also found that 69 of the 113 ACEJMC-accredited programs integrated some data journalism into other reporting and writing courses. That distinction matters: a program could expose students to data methods without listing a standalone data journalism course. In addition, 11 schools told the researchers they were revamping their curriculum and considering adding data journalism. Sixteen schools did not respond to multiple emails or phone calls from the researchers.
Together, these figures describe two forms of curriculum adoption: dedicated courses and integration into existing classes. The report’s 63 collected syllabi covered data-driven journalism, computational journalism, data visualization, and related methods, while its program-level counts focused on course availability and curriculum structure.
NYU undergraduate enrollment and progression
NYU Journalism’s Enrollment, Retention & Graduation Statistics report lists undergraduate end-of-term enrollment in the major at 244 in Fall 2019, 247 in Fall 2020, 231 in Fall 2021, and 249 in Fall 2022. The listed departing-senior counts were 120 in Fall 2019, 118 in Fall 2020, and 110 in Fall 2021.
| Fall term | Undergraduate enrollment in major | Departing seniors | Other undergraduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 244 | 120 | 124 |
| 2020 | 247 | 118 | 125 |
| 2021 | 231 | 110 | 121 |
| 2022 | 249 | — | — |
For the Fall 2019 cohort, the undergraduate graduation rate with major for departing seniors was 90% in the next calendar year. The corresponding rate was 82% for the Fall 2020 cohort and 81% for the Fall 2021 cohort. The measurement is specifically the graduation rate with major in the next calendar year, not a general lifetime graduation rate.
NYU also reported retention in the major for other students through the next end-of-fall. The rate was 85% for Fall 2019 and 86% for both Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. The enrollment report lists 124 other undergraduates in Fall 2019, 125 in Fall 2020, and 121 in Fall 2021.
These figures provide separate views of the undergraduate pipeline: end-of-term major enrollment describes the size of the program at a point in time, departing-senior graduation rates describe a following-calendar-year outcome, and other-student retention describes continuation through the next end-of-fall.
NYU master’s enrollment and outcomes
NYU Journalism’s master’s enrollment was 107 in 2019, 104 in 2020, 132 in 2021, and 112 in 2022. The report lists 9 areas of study at the master’s level. Most NYU Journalism master’s programs can be completed in 3 semesters, while the Literary Reportage and Global and Joint programs typically require 2 years.
Master’s outcomes varied by cohort and by the timing used for graduation. The on-time graduation rate was 91% in 2019, with eventual graduation at 94%. For 2020, the on-time rate was 83%, with eventual graduation at 93%. For 2021, the on-time rate was 93%, and eventual graduation was also 93%.
| Master’s cohort | Enrollment | On-time graduation | Eventual graduation | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 107 | 91% | 94% | 94% |
| 2020 | 104 | 83% | 93% | 97% |
| 2021 | 132 | 93% | 93% | 95% |
| 2022 | 112 | — | — | — |
The master’s retention rate was 94% in 2019, 97% in 2020, and 95% in 2021. Because the report separates on-time and eventual graduation, the two measures should not be treated as interchangeable. The program-length information likewise indicates that the 3-semester timeline applies to most programs, while two named program groupings typically take 2 years.
Missouri retention, graduation, and career outcomes
The Missouri School of Journalism’s Mizzou Undergraduate Program reports a 99.7% successful career outcome rate for recent bachelor’s graduates within 6 months of graduation. In the 2024 outcomes survey, 71% of journalism graduates had full-time paid jobs. Another 13% had part-time jobs or internships, 16% were in graduate school, and 0.3% were seeking employment.
Missouri’s reported undergraduate one-year retention rate increased across the listed academic-year pairs: 91% for FS2021-FS2022, 93% for FS2022-FS2023, and 94% for FS2023-FS2024. These are one-year retention measurements for the specified periods.
Graduation rates differed by the length of time allowed for completion and by entering fall cohort. Missouri reported four-year graduation rates of 69% for FS2018, 70% for FS2019, and 72% for FS2020. Five-year graduation rates were 85% for FS2017, 79% for FS2018, and 79% for FS2019. Six-year graduation rates were 86% for FS2016, 86% for FS2017, and 80% for FS2018.
| Missouri measure | Cohort or period | Reported rate |
|---|---|---|
| One-year retention | FS2021-FS2022 | 91% |
| One-year retention | FS2022-FS2023 | 93% |
| One-year retention | FS2023-FS2024 | 94% |
| Four-year graduation | FS2018 | 69% |
| Four-year graduation | FS2019 | 70% |
| Four-year graduation | FS2020 | 72% |
| Five-year graduation | FS2017 | 85% |
| Five-year graduation | FS2018 | 79% |
| Five-year graduation | FS2019 | 79% |
| Six-year graduation | FS2016 | 86% |
| Six-year graduation | FS2017 | 86% |
| Six-year graduation | FS2018 | 80% |
The career-outcome figures use a 6-month window after graduation, while the retention and graduation figures use the named academic periods and cohort years. Keeping those time frames separate is essential when reading journalism education outcomes.
Accreditation and program scale
The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication says it is one of 112 accredited programs worldwide. UO SOJC became one of the first journalism schools accredited by AEJMC in 1948. The school also says it is the only accredited comprehensive journalism program in the Pacific Northwest that includes advertising and public relations.
The University of Arizona School of Journalism listed 252 majors in 2024-25, 289 in 2023-24, and 295 in 2022-23. Its Journalism Retention and Graduation Report reported 72% second-year retention for journalism majors in 2024, compared with 82% across the university. The report states that the school has been accredited since 1964 and adopted its first assessment plan in 1999.
| University of Arizona measure | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism majors | 2022-23 | 295 |
| Journalism majors | 2023-24 | 289 |
| Journalism majors | 2024-25 | 252 |
| Second-year retention, journalism majors | 2024 | 72% |
| Second-year retention, all university students | 2024 | 82% |
The accreditation counts and dates come from institutional reports and pages with different scopes. Columbia’s 113-program study concerns its research sample in the United States, including Puerto Rico. UO’s 112 figure concerns accredited programs worldwide, while Arizona’s dates describe that school’s own accreditation and assessment history. These measures therefore provide context about program structure and institutional history, not a single common ranking system.