47
Colleges in California
13,181
Communications Degrees Awarded
$37,861
Avg Early-Career Salary
Communication & Media Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #10 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 47 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for communication & media studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,181 degrees in communication & media studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of communication & media studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Communication & Media Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
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Featured Communication & Media Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Communication
With an online bachelor's degree in communication you'll have the opportunity to pursue a multitude of career options. From journalism and social media, to public relations, advertising and mass media, earning your BA in communication will allow you to strategize and communicate your ideas.
Learn More
MA in Communication
Effective communicators are always in demand, no matter the industry. The Master's in Communication degree from Southern New Hampshire University is a cutting-edge program designed for forward-thinking professionals.
Learn More
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communications degree levels they offer.
10 Top California Schools in Communications
Every student pursuing a degree in communication & media studies needs to look into University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 567 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $17,078 more than the standard communications graduate.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of Southern California
University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in communication & media studies. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 268 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of around $10,426 over the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Davis is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in communication & media studies. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were roughly 300 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career wages of $38,895.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara is a good choice for students interested in a degree in communication & media studies. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 469 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara earn $3,193 more than the average communications grad.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - Santa Barbara
SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 142 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Santa Clara University receive an earnings boost of around $15,179 above the average earnings of communication & media studies graduates.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Santa Clara University
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were approximately 271 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the communications program report average early career wages of $34,173.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were approximately 55 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from Stanford University receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,987 over the typical income of communication & media studies majors.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from Stanford University
Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 35th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 343 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from San Francisco State University earn $4,759 more than the standard communications student.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Francisco State University
Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means San Jose State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 332 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent data year. Communication & Media Studies degree recipients from San Jose State University get an earnings boost of about $7,301 over the average income of communication & media studies majors.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from San Jose State University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 24th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 119 communication & media studies students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent data year. Those communication & media studies students who get their degree from University of San Francisco earn $3,894 more than the typical communications student.
More information about a degree in communication & media studies from University of San Francisco