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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in the Far Western US Region

221 Ranked Colleges
15,404 Degrees Awarded
$31,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Media Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 66,787 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 the Far Western US region, there were 15,404 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,160 and $21,474 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 221 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful communication and media studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

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 “Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region” 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. 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.

Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region communications students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 777 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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%.

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

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 567 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at USC

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 492 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region. 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.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full UCSB Communication & Media Studies Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 411 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

6

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 387 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.4% 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 - Long Beach

7

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 367 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Communication & Media Studies Report

8
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #8, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 343 students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Communication & Media Studies at San Francisco State University

9
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 332 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full San Jose State University Communication & Media Studies Report

10

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 300 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full UC Davis Communication & Media Studies Report

11

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 271 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

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

12

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 268 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Communication & Media Studies Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 259 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 more about Communication & Media Studies at UNLV

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 242 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

15

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 231 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full CSUSM Communication & Media Studies Report

16

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 207 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

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

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 199 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

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

18

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 185 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 UCLA

19
Long Beach City College crest
Long Beach City College
Long Beach, California

With a ranking of #19, Long Beach City College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. Long Beach City College is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 180 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Long Beach City College Communication & Media Studies Report

20
SMC crest
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. SMC is located in Santa Monica, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Santa Monica College

21

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communications degrees to 166 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSB Communication & Media Studies Report

22

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 159 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at UH Manoa

23
SBCC crest
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara City College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. SBCC is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 156 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Santa Barbara City College

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 153 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad 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 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Communication & Media Studies Report

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 152 ’s communications degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - East Bay Communication & Media Studies Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Most Well Attended Communications Major in the Far Western US Region

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California
28
Orange Coast College crest
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California
29
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
30
Chaffey College crest
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, California
31
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California
32
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California
33
Saddleback College crest
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, California
34
Bakersfield College crest
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield, California

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