2023 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in California
21
Ranked Colleges
1,640
Degrees Awarded
$15,600
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 13,552 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,640 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,623 and $21,695 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent journalism programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $4,655 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Fresno State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 115 students in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Southern California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 109 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,573 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.
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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Journalism at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $9,274 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
Full SDSU Journalism Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,449 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Journalism at UC Irvine
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,701 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.
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 Journalism at Cal State LA
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 California State University - Sacramento Journalism Report
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 161 students in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $7,103 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Journalism at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 21 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,329 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.
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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Journalism Report
San Jose State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for California Journalism 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Journalism at San Jose State University
California State University - Chico came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 49 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $13,040 for california journalism 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%.
Full Chico State Journalism Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,194 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
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.
Read more about Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 61 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,862 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SFSU Journalism Report
Humboldt State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 17 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Humboldt State University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,298 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read more about Journalism at Humboldt State University
California Baptist University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $22,162 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 California Baptist University Journalism Report
Biola University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Biola has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,419 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola University.
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 full report on Journalism at Biola
With a ranking of #18, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pepperdine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine University is $25,909 for California Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 85%.
Read full report on Journalism at Pepperdine University
With a ranking of #19, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chapman has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,071 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chapman.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read full report on Journalism at Chapman
Loyola Marymount University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $31,985 for california journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Journalism at Loyola Marymount University
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