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2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region

75 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
14,317 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 75 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 14,317 degrees in communication & media studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region The communications program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies rankings. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Communication & Media Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Communications
Bachelor's Degrees in Communications
Master's Degrees in Communications
Doctor's Degrees in Communications

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 Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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.

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in the Far Western US Region

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Communications

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
585 Communications Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is a great option for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 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 earn a boost of approximately $21,592 above the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
592 Communications Degrees Awarded
20.8% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Santa Barbara is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 592 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara receive $9,748 more than the average communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
293 Communications Degrees Awarded
$42,569 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Davis is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 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 get an earnings boost of approximately $5,719 above the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Communications Degrees Awarded
$44,638 Median Starting Salary

University of Washington - Seattle Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 318 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $7,788 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Communications Degrees Awarded
$43,696 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 258 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $6,846 more than the standard communications grad.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
287 Communications Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were roughly 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 earn about $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

7
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 Communications Degrees Awarded
$51,720 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 make $14,870 more than the average communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
323 Communications Degrees Awarded
$40,790 Median Starting Salary

SFSU is a very large public university located in the large city of San Francisco. This university ranks 30th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 323 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & media studies program at San Francisco State University get $3,940 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Francisco State University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Communications Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 schools 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 receive an earnings boost of around $7,751 above the typical income of communication & media studies majors.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Chapman University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
330 Communications Degrees Awarded
26.7% Growth in Graduates

SDSU is a very large public university located in the large city of San Diego. This university ranks 25th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 330 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communications program earn an average of $37,820 for their early career.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Diego State University

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Communications Degrees Awarded
$41,113 Median Starting Salary

Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 29th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 125 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University earn a boost of around $4,263 over the typical earnings of communication & media studies graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Loyola Marymount University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
346 Communications Degrees Awarded
$34,172 Median Starting Salary

CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach. This university ranks 36th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 346 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communications program make about $34,172 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from California State University - Long Beach

13
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Communications Degrees Awarded
$39,000 Median Starting Salary

USFCA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 105 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of San Francisco make $2,150 more than the average communications student.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of San Francisco

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
677 Communications Degrees Awarded
$34,412 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 41st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 677 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, communications degree recipients typically make around $34,412 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from California State University - Fullerton

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
455 Communications Degrees Awarded
$39,304 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 40th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 455 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from California State University - Sacramento make $2,454 more than the average communications graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & media studies from California State University - Sacramento

Rest of the Top Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Communication & Media Studies students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
16 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
17 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
18 Washington State University Pullman, WA
19 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
20 Saint Mary’s College of California Moraga, CA
21 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
22 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
23 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
24 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
25 California State University - Chico Chico, CA

Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best communication & media studies schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 330 12,751
Washington 300 1,137
Oregon 266 411
Nevada 192 367
Hawaii 164 265
Alaska 119 11

View All Rankings >

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of Communication & Journalism programs to choose from.

Communications Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Speech Communication 11,290
Communications 1,869
Communication & Media Studies 847
Other Communication & Media Studies 311

View All Communications Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 3,212
Journalism 2,107
Public Relations & Advertising 1,848
Communication & Journalism (Other) 108
Publishing 27

View All Communications Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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