Best Journalism Schools Near Watertown, NY (2026)

Watertown, New York has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $6,102 to $65,528 per year for indexed programs. Watertown has a population of about 24,574. Median household income is $49,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $101,480 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Watertown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Watertown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Watertown city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Watertown. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY 48.0 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,566
Avg net price $16,236/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 65.5 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

SUNY Morrisville

Morrisville, NY 75.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
56.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,295
Avg net price $15,939/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,825
Out‑of‑state$19,245
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 107.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,571
Avg net price $34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY 111.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
67.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,548
Avg net price $33,926/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,540
Out‑of‑state$53,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY 115.0 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,496
Avg net price $16,353/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,752
Out‑of‑state$15,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY 130.6 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,403
Avg net price $17,156/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University at Albany

Albany, NY 137.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,979
Avg net price $17,167/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,866
Out‑of‑state$31,256
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York journalism page.


Journalism Wages Near Watertown

Watertown is part of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area (BLS area code 48060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$100,770NY statewide$114,903
Editor$101,480NY statewide$115,713
Public Relations Specialist$74,390Watertown-Fort Drum, NY$84,823

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Watertown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,574Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,692Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Watertown, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Watertown. The closest is State University of New York at Oswego in Oswego, NY (47.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Morrisville (75.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Watertown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Watertown are: Editor ($101,480), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($100,770), Public Relations Specialist ($74,390). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oswego instead of Watertown?

Oswego, NY is 46.6 miles from Watertown and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Watertown an affordable place to study journalism?

Watertown’s median household income of $49,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Watertown

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Watertown:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.