For the first time since 2000, the percentage of journalism and mass communication bachelor's degree recipients who had at least one job offer on graduation increased over a year earlier, as did the average number of job offers graduates had. The percentage of graduates who looked for work but had no interviews or had only a telephone interview dropped in 2004 compared with 2003.

The level of unemployment for journalism and mass communication bachelor's degree recipients declined, bringing them closer to their age cohort nationally than has been true any year since 2000.

The job market for those earning a master's degree from the nation's journalism and mass communication programs also improved in 2004 over 2003, though the improvement was less dramatic than for the bachelor's degree recipients.

The gap between the employment level of bachelor's degree recipients who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups and those who are not persisted in 2004, though the size of the gap was smaller than a year earlier. Minorities continued to have a more difficult time in the job market.

Salaries earned by journalism and mass communication bachelor's degree recipients increased markedly in 2004, with the median standing at $27,800. In current dollars, the salary earned by the 2004 graduates is the highest ever received, surpassing the old top salary of $26,988 earned by 2000 graduates. The salary earned by master's degree recipients in 2004 also improved, though just slightly.

To learn more about the 2004 Graduate Survey, click here.