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2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

21 Ranked Colleges
1,640 Degrees Awarded
$23,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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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 $75-$110k” 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in California

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,789 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Fresno State

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 109 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full California State University - Long Beach Journalism Report

3
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 170 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $18,957 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.2% 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 San Diego State University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 32 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Journalism at UC Irvine

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s 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. It costs about $16,925 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sac State.

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 more about Journalism at Sac State

6

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Journalism Report

7

California State University - Northridge came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 161 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUN has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,380 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUN.

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 Journalism Report

8

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $11,085 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Journalism at California State University - Dominguez Hills

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

San Jose State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Jose State University 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.

San Jose State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,035 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at San Jose State

10

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. 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.

Chico State also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $20,708 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Chico State Journalism Report

11
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,363 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USC.

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 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%.

Full University of Southern California Journalism Report

12

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 80 degrees to qualified ’s journalism students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $22,744 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - 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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 61 students 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 $20,159 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SFSU.

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 Journalism at SFSU

14
15
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #15, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 12 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also took the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $28,614 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Baptist University Journalism Report

16
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $20,326 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Journalism at Humboldt State University

17
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $35,375 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Pepperdine University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full Pepperdine University Journalism Report

18
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 16 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Biola also took the #14 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,788 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k 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

19
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 31 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k list, Chapman has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $42,077 for California Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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 more about Journalism at Chapman

20
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 13 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $40,983 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Journalism at Academy of Art University

21
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $40,066 for california journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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%.

Read more about Journalism at Loyola Marymount University

Notes and References

References

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