Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Journalism

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 12,336 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,571 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 994 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general journalism program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in California

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at California State University - Fresno

#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at San Diego State University

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 101 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at CSULB

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about General Journalism at CSUDH

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at CSUN

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Journalism Report

#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Journalism at University of Southern California

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#10 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on General Journalism at San Francisco State University

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about General Journalism at Sac State

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Chico State

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#7 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State General Journalism Report

#12

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#19 in overall quality

Humboldt State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Humboldt State University General Journalism Report

#13

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

PLNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend PLNU is $25,073 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full PLNU General Journalism Report

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Baptist University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 General Journalism at California Baptist University

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Arizona Global Campus is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAGC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus is $20,283 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Journalism at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#16

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Biola University is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $25,135 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Biola University General Journalism Report

#17

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 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 more about General Journalism at Loyola Marymount University

#18

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#16 in overall quality

University of La Verne landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $21,297 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 General Journalism at University of La Verne

#19

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#4 in overall quality

Pepperdine University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Malibu, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine is $31,185 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 General Journalism at Pepperdine

#20

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

Academy of Art University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,390 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Read full report on General Journalism at Academy of Art University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You