47
Colleges in California
12,384
Communications Degrees Awarded
$36,850
Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Media Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #10 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
College Factual looked at 47 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 12,384 degrees in communication & media studies annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of communication & media studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communications degree levels they offer.
10 Top California Schools in Communications
Any student who is interested in communication & media studies has to check out University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 585 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of around $21,592 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Southern California
University of California - Santa Barbara is a good decision for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. UCSB is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 592 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara earn $9,748 more than the average communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis is a great choice for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were approximately 293 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of California - Davis receive an earnings boost of about $5,719 above the average income of communication & media studies majors.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were about 258 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley receive $6,846 more than the standard communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were about 287 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, communications degree recipients typically make around $33,046 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - San Diego
SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.
There were about 137 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from Santa Clara University earn $14,870 more than the typical communications grad.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 30th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 323 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at San Francisco State University earn $3,940 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Francisco State University
Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.
There were approximately 107 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Chapman University get an earnings boost of about $7,751 above the typical income of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Chapman University
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 25th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 330 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the communications program make about $37,820 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Diego State University
Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 29th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 125 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University get an earnings boost of about $4,263 over the average income of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Loyola Marymount University
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