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2025 Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in California

12 Colleges in California
1,236 Master's Degrees
$55,943 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Journalism is about average in terms of popularity for master's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #15 out of the 37 majors across the country that we analyze each year. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,236 master's degrees in communication & journalism during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School for Your Master's Degree

Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of communication & journalism for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for communication & journalism students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Communication & Journalism Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Communication & Journalism Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Communication & Journalism in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for communication & journalism students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
747 Annual Graduates

University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in communication & journalism. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of Southern California

2
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
28 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in communication & journalism needs to look into University of San Francisco. USFCA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of San Francisco

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15 Annual Graduates

Chapman University is a great decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in communication & journalism. Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Orange.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from Chapman University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a master's degree in communication & journalism. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from University of California - Berkeley

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Annual Graduates

SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from San Diego State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from California State University - Fullerton

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from California State University - San Bernardino

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Cal State LA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from California State University - Los Angeles

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
23 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from California State University - Northridge

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
27 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in communication & journalism from California Baptist University

Best Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 31 230
Oregon 29 93
Hawaii 27 21
Nevada 27 30
Alaska 21 4

View All Rankings >

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 579
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 331
Public Relations & Advertising 253
Journalism 73

Majors Similar to Communication & Journalism

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 1,775
Theology & Religious Vocations 1,179
English Language & Literature 895
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 332
History 239
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 238
Philosophy & Religious Studies 215
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 156
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 110

Notes and References

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