The Best Journalism Schools in New York

A healthy democracy and well-informed society rely on journalism.

Thomas Jefferson’s letter to a Continental Congress delegate in the 1780s declared that he would choose “newspapers without a government” over the alternative if he had to.

Journalism is a profession that needs practical skills and a solid grounding in professional ethics, even though it does not require a professional license. Pursuing a formal journalism degree program is a great way to achieve both of these crucial goals.

Journalism schools provide students with both theoretical instruction and practical experience, teaching them about journalism’s history and cultural role, and equipping them with skills like article drafting, deadline management, subject interview, and critical thinking about data and sources. Most of the instructors in journalism departments are or were reporters themselves and can give students practical guidance and academic tutelage.

Most journalism schools offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees and have courses in various forms of journalism, including print and broadcast journalism, digital multimedia outlets, social media, and interactive media.

Journalism graduates often work on student-run campus media and get internships and networking opportunities in the regional media market, which includes some of the world’s most prestigious news corporations in New York.

This hands-on experience during their university years enables journalism students to leave with a collection of work they can use in their future careers.

The Best Journalism Schools in New York

Syracuse University SI Newhouse School of Public Communications (Syracuse, NY)

The Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium rates Syracuse University’s SI Newhouse School of Public Communications as one of the top journalism schools in the country. With its bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, Newhouse aims to prepare aspiring communicators for the rapidly changing media industry.

Digital and print publications, daily newspapers, magazines with a food and fashion focus, as well as broadcast television studios that produce news, sports, music, and other entertainment are all part of the student-run media at the institution.

The Society of Professional Journalists named The NewsHouse, Newhouse’s online publication, the finest independent website among large universities. The NewsHouse features written and video reporting, photography, social media, and interactive aspects.

Six Newhouse students recently began a paid internship with PBS “Frontline,” where they worked on Oscar Guerra’s film “After Zero Tolerance.”

A few of the students worked as field producers, traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, with the PBS crew to conduct interviews with the family whose narrative forms the basis of the documentary. The students also helped with translation, research, and post-production.

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (New York, NY)

Joseph Pulitzer founded the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1912. He is also the creator of the distinguished Pulitzer Prize, granted for exceptional accomplishments in journalism, literature, and music.

Columbia provides advanced degrees in areas such as data journalism, investigative journalism, and documentary beyond its doctoral program. It also offers Master of Arts degrees for established journalists who aspire to enhance their comprehension of a particular subject area like science, economics, arts and culture, or politics.

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, known worldwide, is a project of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. This center functions as a resource for a global network of reporters addressing conflict and other traumatic events.

Fordham University (New York, NY)

The Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University offers a journalism major that focuses on notable occurrences both on and off the field. It also offers an optional minor in sports journalism. The goal of the journalism program is to prepare students to represent the public interest in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Students are exposed to the most recent industry norms and expectations in one of the largest media markets in the world since the journalism faculty is made up of both full-time instructors and active media professionals from the New York region.

Students obtain a foundation in journalistic ethics and the social construction of journalism through mandatory curriculum, in addition to practical skills.

Students majoring in journalism are required to work at one of Fordham’s on-campus media outlets for at least one semester. These outlets include the National Public Radio affiliate WFUV, the newspapers The Fordham Ram and The Observer, as well as the student-run alternative journal the paper.

New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute (New York, NY)

The print/online track is for students who are primarily interested in writing for digital and print media, while the broadcast track is for students who are primarily interested in broadcast reporting and video production. Undergraduates at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute can choose between these two courses.

All journalism majors at the undergraduate level are required to earn a dual degree and use their journalism experience to research their preferred second major.

Students graduate with the subject-matter competence to reliably and critically report on an area of personal interest, enhancing both sets of abilities using an interdisciplinary approach.

Undergraduate reporting is highlighted on the website CooperSquared. Recent articles have emphasized the influence of collegiate media, Venezuela’s emerging baseball industry, and the long history of inequity affecting Afro-Costa Ricans.

Graduate journalism students at NYU gain the ability to change with the demands of the industry and can choose from a variety of specializations, such as business and economic reporting, cultural criticism and reporting, global and joint program studies, podcasting and audio reportage, and science, health, and environmental reporting.

Ithaca College Roy H. Park School of Communications (Ithaca, NY)

The Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College is where the journalism program is located.

The school imparts knowledge about both traditional media and independent and entrepreneurial journalism, as well as news collecting and reporting techniques for all kinds of platforms.

Students can begin working for on-campus organizations as soon as they arrive, including local newspaper The Ithacan, non-profit radio station WICB, public affairs, and entertainment television production company ICTV, and many more.

Students from Ithaca College frequently collaborate with professional news organizations; examples of such collaborations include the 2020 presidential election with CNN and NPR, the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington with NBC Nightly News and PBS Newshour Online, and the 2018 March for Our Lives with NBC and MSNBC.

Students have been working with NBC to cover the summer and winter Olympics for a number of years.

Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY)

The Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations at Hofstra University places a strong emphasis on developing a broad range of professional skill sets and multimedia storytelling. The university provides bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and public relations, with an optional sports journalism emphasis available to journalism students.

The Hofstra Chronicle and WRHU Radio Hofstra, where students practice using technology used in the business and broadcast original content including news, talk radio, music, sports, and more, are examples of student publications.

Students can receive expert advice from WRHU thanks to partnerships with WABC TV Eyewitness News and the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Students at Hofstra University majoring in journalism are required to complete internships that will allow them to network with and learn from professionals in the field.

Recent Master of Arts capstone projects by students looked at the future of print journalism, the impact of political memes in the social media age, and the struggle for democracy in Belarus.

Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY)

Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY, is the only SUNY school with a journalism degree program accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). They offer a Bachelor of Arts degree centered on digital reporting and its role in a democratic society. Students are encouraged to participate in internships and hands-on training, which are cataloged on the SB J-Drive website. Seniors can apply for the Colvin Center Wall Street Journal Fellowship to gain international reporting experience. The Statesman, a student newspaper since 1957, and The Stony Brook Press serve as student media outlets, and students can gain broadcast experience at WUSB, Long Island’s biggest non-commercial radio station.

SUNY Buffalo (Buffalo, NY)

SUNY Buffalo in Buffalo, NY, offers a Journalism Certificate Program that combines coursework from various departments, including English, Media Study, and Communication. Students learn about different types of journalism and professional reporting practices, and are taught skills like conducting interviews and sifting through reliable information. The school also has a certificate program in professional writing and digital communication, with courses in technical communication, rhetoric, and digital media in education. Notable SUNY Buffalo alumni include Terry Gross, Wolf Blitzer, and Tom Toles. The Spectrum is the largest student-run undergraduate paper.

Pace University (New York, NY)

Pace University in New York, NY, has a Department of Media Communications and Visual Arts, where students can pursue a B.A. in Communications, a B.S. in digital cinema and filmmaking, and a B.S. in digital journalism. Students can also minor in sports media and broadcasting, and must complete three internship credits. The Pace Press and The Pace Chronicle are student newspapers, while radio stations WPUB and WPAW provide broadcasting opportunities. Students have produced award-winning documentaries on a variety of topics.

Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY)

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY, offers a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Journalism, and undergraduate students can pursue a dual degree or journalism immersion. The School of Communication also has a new one-year master’s degree program. RIT prioritizes cooperative education and ranks #11 in co-op and internship programs by U.S. News & World Report. Recently, students have participated in co-ops at National Geographic, Gannett, and The Hill. Reporter Magazine is a multimedia outlet serving as RIT’s primary student publication. The Revisiting the Rochester Narrative fellowship aims to include BIPOC communities in Rochester’s narrative through storytelling.