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2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

82 Ranked Colleges
9,692 Degrees Awarded
$8,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 15,759 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,204 and $21,798 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,692 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 82 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and media studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,145 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Stanford

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 463 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Communication & Media Studies Report

Out of the 82 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 284 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 730 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cal State Fullerton

Out of the 82 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 210 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,117 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 517 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full UCSB Communication & Media Studies Report

University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 323 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Davis

California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 365 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $7,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Fresno State

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Communication & Media Studies Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 369 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,883 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Communication & Media Studies Report

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,958 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Communication & Media Studies Report

University of California - San Diego came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 239 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,974 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Bakersfield

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,594 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SDSU

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 531 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Communication & Media Studies Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 237 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,880 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNLV Communication & Media Studies Report

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 206 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,869 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSUSB Communication & Media Studies Report

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 314 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $16,252 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Southern California

#20

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $11,337 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Communication & Media Studies Report

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 278 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,347 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSM.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos

#22

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,821 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at EWU

#23

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 89 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Western Washington University

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 406 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SFSU

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,680 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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