Ranked #5 in popularity,
communication & media studies is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 66 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,302 bachelor's degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of communication & media studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on communication & media studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other communication & media studies students want to attend this school to pursue a bachelor's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How much debt communication & media studies students go into to obtain their bachelor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized communication & media studies related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & media studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for 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.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for communication & media studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
13 Top Far Western US Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Communications
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree 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.
Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of around $9,992 over the typical income of communication & media studies majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Southern California
University of California - Santa Barbara is a great option for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.
Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Santa Barbara earn $8,939 more than the average communications graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis is a good choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.
Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Davis get an earnings boost of about $4,910 over the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis
University of Washington - Seattle Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in communication & media studies. UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle.
Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive $6,979 more than the typical communications student.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.
Those communication & media studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $6,037 more than the average communications grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.
Soon after graduating, communications bachelor's recipients usually make about $33,046 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s 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.
Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies program at Santa Clara University get $14,061 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.
Communication & Media Studies bachelor's degree recipients from San Francisco State University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,131 over the average earnings of communication & media studies majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from San Francisco State University
Located in the midsize city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the communication & media studies degree program at Chapman University earn $6,942 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s 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.
After graduating, communications bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $37,773 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in communication & media studies from San Diego State University
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