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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in California

25 Ranked Colleges
1,039 Degrees Awarded
$32,592 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 12,911 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $32,980 and had an average of $23,933 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,546 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,623 and $21,997 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,039 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in journalism. That schools that top this list have a program in journalism in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree journalism students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in California

1
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #1 spot on the list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at San Diego State University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 133 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Journalism at CSUN

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Fresno State

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

5
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Biola University
La Mirada, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Biola University landed the #5 spot on the list. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at Biola

6
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Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full Chapman University Journalism Report

7

California State University - Chico landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Journalism Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at CSULB

9
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at Loyola Marymount

10
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read more about Journalism at Humboldt State University

11
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Journalism Report

12
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Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. MSMU is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full MSMU Journalism Report

13
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Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at PLNU

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 89%.

Read more about Journalism at San Jose State University

15

California State University - Sacramento came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

16

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at California State University - Dominguez Hills

17
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #17, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 92 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Journalism at University of Southern California

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s journalism degrees to 59 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at The University of Arizona Global Campus

19
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Full California Baptist University Journalism Report

20
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Pepperdine University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Pepperdine

21

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 93%.

Read more about Journalism at UC Irvine

22
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Academy of Art University

23

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Journalism at California State University - Los Angeles

24
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

With a ranking of #24, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at ULV

25
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

Pacific Union College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Pacific Union College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 0 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at PUC

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