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2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

21 Ranked Colleges
1,640 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Journalism is the 69th most popular major in the country with 13,552 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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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 Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

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 $48-$75k. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $8,030 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Journalism at California State University - Fresno

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 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

USC also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Journalism at University of Southern California

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $11,189 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.4% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Journalism Report

4
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Diego State University 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.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,698 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Journalism at SDSU

5

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at University of California - Irvine

6

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 41 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $12,602 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

7

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,700 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Journalism Report

8

California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 161 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,780 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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 CSUN Journalism Report

9

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 21 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also took the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Journalism at CSUDH

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 52 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

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 Journalism Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 49 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,738 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Chico State

12

With a ranking of #12, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

13
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,065 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at SFSU

14
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 17 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,716 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Journalism Report

15

16
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also took the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,553 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

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 Journalism Report

17
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $30,789 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Biola.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Biola University

18
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Pepperdine also took the #10 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $32,267 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Journalism at Pepperdine University

19
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Loyola Marymount University is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 29 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $37,292 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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.

Read more about Journalism at Loyola Marymount

20
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k list, Chapman has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $38,525 for california journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chapman University Journalism Report

21
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,695 for California Journalism students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Academy of Art University

Notes and References

References

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