Jayhawk Journalists on the Job


Carlos Beltran of NBC

Making their Mark

Our degree prepares students to succeed, excel and rise to the top of their fields in the journalism and communications industry. Our graduates have transferrable skills in all forms of communications that are sought after in not only in news, advertising, marketing and public relations but are essential in many other fields as well.

School of Journalism Graduate Employment Data

Graduate self-reports six months after graduation2012201320142015201620172018201920212022
Employed full-time*79.8%81.2%81.8%82.4%69.7%75.9%78%75.2%84.7%83.5%
Employed part-time9.2%9.4%10.5%7.5%14.4%7.8%6.8%17.9%n/a9.9%
Internship9.2%4.7%3.2%2.7%5.6%6.4%4.5%5.1%n/a2.5%
Graduate school.9%2.4%4.2%4.8%7.5%7.8%7.7%6.8%n/a2.5%
Unemployedn/a2.4%6.3%8.8%10.6%2.1%3.0%1.0%n/a3.7%
Employed in news/info or strategic communications career73%72.9%88.8%n/a71.6%89.8%85.7%91%n/a86.9%

 

*Full-time employment reflects only those seeking full-time employment immediately following graduation. Information is based on the responses collected from a survey sent in November to all graduates six months after the May commencement ceremony.
Number of Internships Completed while at KU20122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Four or more6.4%8.2%9.1%11.6%9.7%14.2%10.1%15.7%N/A10.7%7.5%
Three18.3%15.3%22.7%17.5%11.8%17.3%16.8%14.7%N/A13.6%8.9%
Two38.5%31.8%22.7%28.2%22.8%27.6%23.5%27.5%N/A26.2%28.4%
One29.4%31.8%27.3%28.2%20%29.9%32.8%23.5%N/A33.9%28.4%
None7.3%12.9%18.2%14.5%35.9%11%16.8%18.5%N/A15.5%26.9%

For inquiries about this data, please contact jadvising@ku.edu.


100 Job Titles of our Alumni*

  • Account executive
  • Account manager
  • Athletic director
  • Art director
  • Athletics communications director
  • Attorney general
  • Author
  • Baseball communications coordinator
  • Brand strategist
  • Brand supervisor
  • Business development associate
  • Campaign manager
  • Chief communications officer
  • Chief executive officer
  • Chief of staff
  • City manager
  • Client development specialist
  • Communications director
  • Communications & public relations analyst
  • Content strategist
  • Copy editor
  • Copywriter
  • Corporate communications specialist
  • Corporate recruiter
  • Creative manager
  • Customer care representative
  • Customer success manager
  • Data analyst
  • Development director
  • Digital account executive
  • Digital communications specialist
  • Digital marketing manager
  • Director of content & creative
  • Director of development & community partnerships
  • Director of digital media
  • Director of external affairs
  • Director of insights, strategy & innovation
  • Director of marketing
  • Director of news & media relations
  • Director of strategic communications
  • Director of web operations
  • Documentarian
  • Editor
  • Environmental reporter
  • Executive editor
  • Grant coordinator
  • Graphic designer
  • Human resources director
  • Internal communications director
  • Investigative journalist
  • Lawyer
  • Manager of entertainment & events
  • Market research analyst
  • Marketing coordinator
  • Marketing & public relations manager
  • Media planner
  • Media specialist
  • Multimedia journalist
  • National correspondent
  • National director of communications
  • News anchor
  • News producer
  • Operations support specialist
  • Paid media specialist
  • Podcast consultant & host
  • Photographer
  • Producer
  • Professor
  • Program coordinator
  • Project manager
  • Proofreader
  • Provost
  • Public information officer
  • Public relations manager
  • Publisher
  • Quality assurance coordinator
  • Reporter
  • Research assistant
  • Sales director
  • Sales executive
  • Senior director of stewardship & executive support
  • Senior software engineer
  • Senior vice president of public affairs
  • Social media influencer
  • Social media manager
  • Special events director
  • Sports columnist
  • Sports talk show host
  • STEM, diversity & recruitment specialist
  • Talent development consultant
  • Teacher
  • Technical director
  • UX designer
  • VP of internal communications
  • VP of state government affairs
  • Video editor
  • Videographer
  • Voice of the Jayhawks
  • Washington bureau chief
  • White House correspondent

*Sources: Salaries, internship, full-time employment %, internship % and top cities: William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications Employment Survey Job titles: LinkedIn

Salary breakdown for class of 2022*

  • $30,000-$39,000: 16.3%
  • $40,000-$49,000: 30.9%
  • $50,000-plus: 52.7%

Top cities*

  • Kansas City
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Omaha
  • New York
  • Boston
  • Topeka
  • Lawrence