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2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

47 Ranked Colleges
13,181 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 66,787 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,115 and had an average of $25,414 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 13,181 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,861 and $20,384 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 47 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.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 55 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Stanford University Communication & Media Studies Report

2

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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 268 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 300 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Davis

4
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #4 spot on the list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 567 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at USC

5

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools 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. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 469 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,568 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Communication & Media Studies Report

6

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 777 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Fullerton

7

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 271 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Communication & Media Studies Report

8

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 207 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,887 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA

9

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 387 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Communication & Media Studies Report

10

California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 492 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11

California State University - Fresno ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 102 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for California 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Fresno State

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 367 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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 California State University - Northridge Communication & Media Studies Report

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 242 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for california 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 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at SDSU

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

With a ranking of #14, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 332 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $12,158 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at San Jose State

15

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 166 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,985 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Communication & Media Studies Report

16
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 343 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,705 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Communication & Media Studies Report

17

California State University - San Marcos landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 231 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,397 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM Communication & Media Studies Report

18

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 75 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for california 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Stan State

19

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 109 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,238 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CSUB Communication & Media Studies Report

20
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is located in San Diego, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego Mesa College is $4,672 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at San Diego Mesa College

21

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUCI, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,011 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Channel Islands

22

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,657 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

23

California State University - East Bay came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 California State University - East Bay

24

California State University - Chico ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 98 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,754 for California Communications students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 & Media Studies at California State University - Chico

25

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 111 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for california communications students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

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