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2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

47 Ranked Colleges
13,181 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 47 colleges that offered 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 55 students 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 $1,581 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Stanford

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 $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 268 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,999 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of California - Berkeley

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Cal State LA

4

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 Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 300 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $11,598 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad 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 - Davis

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 271 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,176 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

6

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 777 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

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

7

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 469 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Communication & Media Studies Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 387 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Long Beach

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $4,655 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fresno Communication & Media Studies Report

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 567 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at USC

11

California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 492 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,055 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Communication & Media Studies Report

12

California State University - Northridge landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 367 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Communication & Media Studies Report

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 242 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $9,274 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at SDSU

14

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 166 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $6,613 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Bernardino

15

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 75 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,903 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 & Media Studies at California State University - Stanislaus

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $13,378 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 86%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at San Jose State University

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 231 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $10,348 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 109 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,046 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.

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

19
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 343 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,862 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at San Francisco State University

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

With a ranking of #20, San Diego Mesa College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 68 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $5,543 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at San Diego Mesa College

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $3,329 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at CSUDH

22

California State University - East Bay came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 152 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Cal State East Bay

23

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Channel Islands is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUCI has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,125 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUCI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

24

California State University - Chico came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 98 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,040 for california communications students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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 Chico State

25

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for California Communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 87%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

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