2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 13,425 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,239 and $21,690 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,560 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 51 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies 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 communication and media studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools
The communications 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 Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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 Communication & Media Studies at Stanford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 284 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 730 students in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Communication & Media Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 210 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
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%.
Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 517 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 323 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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%.
Pitzer College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
Pitzer also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer College is $15,922 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 365 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Communication & Media Studies Report
California State University - Fresno came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 4.7% 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%.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 190 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 239 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 369 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Northridge
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 98 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 531 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 206 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - San Marcos ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 278 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos
San Francisco State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 406 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.
University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 314 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.
San Jose State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 273 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full San Jose State University Communication & Media Studies Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 152 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
California State University - East Bay landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 160 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State East Bay
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 122 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUCI, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Full California State University - Channel Islands Communication & Media Studies Report
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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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