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2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

20 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in general journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in California

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Journalism at California State University - Fresno

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full CSULB General Journalism Report

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Journalism Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 134 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge General Journalism Report

#5

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 133 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Diego State University General Journalism Report

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 77 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full USC General Journalism Report

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#10 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at SFSU

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 39 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State General Journalism Report

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full California State University - Chico General Journalism Report

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#7 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 86%.

Full San Jose State University General Journalism Report

#12

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#19 in overall quality

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about General Journalism at Humboldt State University

#13

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $21,716 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Baptist General Journalism Report

#14

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#4 in overall quality

Pepperdine University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Malibu, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine University is $29,593 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Pepperdine University

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 43 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,998 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read full report on General Journalism at UAGC

#16

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#5 in overall quality

Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PLNU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for PLNU is $24,654 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Journalism at Point Loma Nazarene University

#17

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Biola University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Mirada, 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 27 students 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. It costs about $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola University.

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 full report on General Journalism at Biola University

#18

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $35,166 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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

#19

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#16 in overall quality

University of La Verne landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV also made our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $23,427 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 General Journalism at University of La Verne

#20

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $34,125 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Journalism at Academy of Art University

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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

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.

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