2023 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in California
19
Ranked Colleges
1,561
Degrees Awarded
$15,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 1,561 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Journalism Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for General Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Journalism at USC
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Journalism at Fresno State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for California 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 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%.
Read full report on General Journalism at SDSU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on General Journalism at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Journalism at Sac State
California State University - Northridge landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 161 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge General Journalism Report
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,887 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 General Journalism at Cal State LA
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Journalism Report
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 52 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $12,158 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Journalism at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,754 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.
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%.
Full Chico State General Journalism Report
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
CSUDH also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $2,657 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
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 General Journalism at CSUDH
San Francisco State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $10,705 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full SFSU General Journalism Report
With a ranking of #13, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,473 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about General Journalism at Humboldt State University
California Baptist University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $21,769 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University General Journalism Report
With a ranking of #16, Biola University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Biola has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $27,024 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Journalism at Biola
Loyola Marymount University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Marymount University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,730 for California Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Full Loyola Marymount General Journalism Report
Pepperdine University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 9 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Pepperdine also made our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $36,264 for california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pepperdine University.
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%. 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 General Journalism at Pepperdine
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $33,484 for california journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Academy of Art University General Journalism Report
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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
- *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.
