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2024 Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California

48 Colleges in California
18,342 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$35,856 Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Journalism is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #11 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 48 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for communication & journalism students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 18,342 degrees in communication & journalism to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Communication & Journalism School

Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California Your choice of communication & journalism school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Communication & Journalism School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Communication & Journalism Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Bachelor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Master's Degrees in Communication & Journalism
Doctor's Degrees in Communication & Journalism

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Communication & Journalism in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communication & journalism degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Communication & Journalism

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
908 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$48,610 Median Starting Salary

University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in communication & journalism. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 908 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism degree program at University of Southern California get $12,755 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of Southern California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
308 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$43,822 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & journalism. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 308 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at University of California - Berkeley make $7,966 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$38,895 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in communication & journalism has to look into University of California - Davis. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 306 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from University of California - Davis earn $3,039 more than the standard communication & journalism graduate.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Davis

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
477 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$41,054 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you wish to pursue a degree in communication & journalism. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 477 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Communication & Journalism degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara receive an earnings boost of around $5,198 over the average earnings of communication & journalism graduates.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 142 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at Santa Clara University earn $17,184 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Santa Clara University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 271 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the communication & journalism program make around $34,173 for their early career.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of California - San Diego

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
13.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #94 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.

There were about 190 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, communication & journalism degree recipients usually make around $35,979 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Pepperdine University

8
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 55 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those communication & journalism students who get their degree from Stanford University make $16,992 more than the average communication & journalism student.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from Stanford University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
598 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$37,864 Median Starting Salary

SFSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Francisco. This university ranks 35th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 598 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism program at San Francisco State University earn $2,008 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from San Francisco State University

10
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Communication & Journalism Degrees Awarded
$43,855 Median Starting Salary

USFCA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Francisco. This university ranks 24th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 151 communication & journalism students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the communication & journalism major at University of San Francisco make $7,999 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in communication & journalism from University of San Francisco

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 37 2,079
Oregon 37 1,366
Hawaii 36 292
Nevada 35 523
Alaska 33 30

View All Rankings >

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 13,181
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 2,551
Journalism 1,640
Public Relations & Advertising 906
Communication & Journalism (Other) 60
Publishing 4

View All Communication & Journalism Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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