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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in California

55 Ranked Colleges
10,632 Degrees Awarded
$32,177 Avg Salary
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 121,387 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 18,646 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,210 and $21,875 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,632 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 55 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent communication and 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 communication and journalism program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. 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.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 55 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Stanford University

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 284 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UC Berkeley

#3

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 517 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full UCSB Communication & Journalism Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 323 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 93%.

Full UC Davis Communication & Journalism Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 919 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Cal State Fullerton

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 364 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Communication & Journalism Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 215 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Fresno State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 239 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of California - San Diego

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 512 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 192 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at CSUDH

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 76 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Stan State

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Bakersfield

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 899 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Communication & Journalism at CSUN

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 570 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

#15

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#7 in overall quality

Pitzer College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pitzer College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitzer also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer is $15,939 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Pitzer College

#16

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 206 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - San Bernardino

#25 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 36 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of California - Irvine

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 138 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 492 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Southern California

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 278 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM Communication & Journalism Report

#21

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#24 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 428 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Communication & Journalism at SDSU

#22

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#14 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 451 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Jose State University

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#21 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 650 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Francisco State University

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 152 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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 low 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 122 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $15,108 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Channel Islands

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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.

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