Oct 05, 2016 02:32 AM EDT By Emily Marks, UniversityHerald Reporter

Journalism is tough. There are a few seats at the top which makes the struggle to become the best even more difficult. Those who want to become journalists should enroll in the best schools that have a proven track record of helping its graduates pursue their chosen careers.

USA Today College reported that College Factual has gathered data on the 10 best colleges and universities in the U.S. for journalism. The data is based on a selection of characteristics such as the quality of the school overall, Focus Coefficient as well as the starting and mid-career salaries of graduates within the major.

1. Emerson College

Its journalism program includes education on using different media (words, audio, video and web) to create rich final products. It was noted that journalism graduates from Emerson College have higher than average beginning and mid-career salaries.

2. University of Texas - Austin

Journalism is a popular major in the renowned public university. Its faculty includes experienced professionals and the school boasts 18 Pulitzer Prize winners as graduates.

3. Northwestern University

The school offers a hands-on residency program where students are matched with media outlets in the country and abroad for a quarter. This is for them to gain a practical experience of what it's like in the industry.

4. New York University

Students in journalism here need to major in one additional field of study. It is one of the schools that received the most applications for college.

5. University of Maryland

In this university, journalism students can specialize in broadcast or multiplatform journalism. One can also focus on sports journalism in UMD.

6. University of Southern California

USC is known for its Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. It unveiled the Wallis Annenberg Hall in 2014 which featured a digital newsroom.

7. Boston University

Students can choose on what they want to specialize in journalism in BU. It offers focus areas in broadcast, journalism, magazine journalism, online journalism and straight journalism.

8. University of Missouri - Columbia

It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism. It also emphasizes on innovation on a multidisciplinary approach.

9. Syracuse University

This school has eight different undergraduate programs in communications. It is deemed as one of the best colleges in New York state.

10. George Washington University

The school's location is the perfect place for aspiring journalists to be front and center on the breaking stories in the nation's capital. GW's program helps students prepare for their future careers in the field by making them understand the media's impact on people's daily lives.

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