2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 68,079 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 51 colleges that offer a degree in communication and media studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and media studies programs and 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 media studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 $30-$48k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California
Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 communications degrees in 2019-2020.
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. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Stanford University
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 $30-$48k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 284 students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 & Media Studies at UC Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 730 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 & Media Studies at Cal State Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 210 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 517 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 323 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UC Davis
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 365 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Fresno State
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.
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%.
California State University - Northridge ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 369 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 - Northridge
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - San Diego came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 239 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Communication & Media Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 190 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 $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 531 students in 2019-2020.
Sac State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 206 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Bernardino
University of Southern California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 314 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.
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. 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 State University - San Marcos came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 278 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
San Francisco State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 406 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.
Full San Francisco State University Communication & Media Studies Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k 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. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
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.
Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Communication & Media Studies Report
San Jose State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 273 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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.
Full San Jose State University Communication & Media Studies Report
California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 160 bachelors’s communications degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full California State University - East Bay Communication & Media Studies Report
Pitzer College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Pitzer is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
Pitzer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer College is $7,693 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. 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.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 152 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 122 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.
CSUCI also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $11,497 for california bachelor’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUCI.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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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