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2023 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California

47 Ranked Colleges
13,181 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 66,787 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 13,181 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,861 and $20,384 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $75-$110k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $13,623 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Stanford University

2

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #2 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 300 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,728 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Davis.

The low undergrad 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 93%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UC Davis

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 777 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,977 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Communication & Media Studies Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 387 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,101 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $21,601 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Communication & Media Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $12,789 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Fresno State

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 271 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $20,906 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UCSD

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 492 students in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $16,925 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State

10

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 469 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $21,581 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at UCSB

11

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 367 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUN has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,380 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUN.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN

12
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 68 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,707 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego Mesa College.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at San Diego Mesa College

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 242 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,957 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SDSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full SDSU Communication & Media Studies Report

14

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 166 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $14,338 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at CSUSB

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 332 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $21,035 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Communication & Media Studies Report

16

California State University - San Marcos came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 231 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $18,439 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos

17

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 75 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $12,642 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Stan State

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #18, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 343 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $75-$110k list, SFSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $20,159 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at San Francisco State University

19

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 109 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $13,441 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

20
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 567 students in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $32,363 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at USC

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $11,085 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

22

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 146 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUCI also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,127 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUCI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Channel Islands

23

California State University - East Bay landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $18,874 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State East Bay Communication & Media Studies Report

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 98 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $20,708 for California Communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

25

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 199 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $18,166 for california communications students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

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