Arizona State vs. Fordham: Which Is Better for a Career in Media?

For most students targeting journalism, digital media, or entertainment media, Arizona State offers the more directly career-focused media education through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Cronkite is a dedicated professional school with undergraduate pathways in areas such as journalism, digital media, sports media, and media innovation, plus extensive student newsroom and production experience. Its curriculum is built around publishing, reporting, audience engagement, visual storytelling, and internships rather than treating media primarily as a liberal-arts concentration.

ASU also provides unusually structured industry access beyond campus. The Cronkite School operates professional-style newsrooms and programs in Phoenix, which can be especially valuable for a student who wants a portfolio, clips, production samples, and practical contacts before graduation.

Fordham’s clearest advantage is New York City. Its Lincoln Center campus places students near national newsrooms, publishers, agencies, studios, and entertainment companies, while the Rose Hill campus has strong student-media opportunities such as WFUV. A proactive Fordham student can build excellent internships during the academic year, particularly in arts, culture, publishing, communications, and entertainment. Fordham can be compelling when access to New York internships and a broader Jesuit liberal-arts environment matter most; ASU has the clearer edge for a student seeking a specialized, hands-on launch into media work.