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2023 Most Focused Colleges for General Journalism in California

82 Ranked Colleges
1,561 Degrees Awarded
$30,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,380 people earned their degree in general journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,561 general journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California” ranking looked at 82 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general journalism. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in general journalism.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The journalism 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california journalism students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for General Journalism in California

1
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 170 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

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 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 General Journalism at San Diego State University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 161 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at California State University - Northridge

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

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 3.2% 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 full report on General Journalism at California State University - Fresno

4

Out of the 82 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #4 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 80 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 General Journalism Report

5
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Biola University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 16 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 General Journalism at Biola

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Chico State General Journalism Report

7

California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 109 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on General Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

8
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Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at Loyola Marymount

9
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Journalism at Humboldt State University

10
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 61 ’s journalism degrees 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%.

Full SFSU General Journalism Report

11
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 full report on General Journalism at Academy of Art University

12
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De Anza College
Cupertino, California

De Anza College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. De Anza College is a public institution located in Cupertino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Journalism at De Anza College

13
Fullerton College crest
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California

With a ranking of #13, Fullerton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Full Fullerton College General Journalism Report

14
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Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Mount Saint Mary’s University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 MSMU General Journalism Report

15
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 113 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 General Journalism at University of Southern California

16
GCC crest
Glendale Community College
Glendale, California

Glendale Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Located in Glendale, California, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read full report on General Journalism at GCC

17
Cosumnes River crest
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento, California

Cosumnes River College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Cosumnes River College is a fairly large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 8 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Journalism at Cosumnes River

18
Las Positas College crest
Las Positas College
Livermore, California

With a ranking of #18, Las Positas College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. Livermore, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Las Positas College General Journalism Report

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 52 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Jose State General Journalism Report

20

California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 General Journalism at Sac State

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full CSUDH General Journalism Report

22
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 15 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Fresno City College General Journalism Report

23
24
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Sacramento City College is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Journalism at Sacramento City College

25
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Cal Baptist General Journalism Report

Notes and References

References

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