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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in California (With Aid)

23 Ranked Colleges
1,071 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Journalism is the 62nd most popular major in the country with 14,528 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,662 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,881 and $22,408 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,071 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 23 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

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 “Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Journalism in California (With Aid)

#13 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 101 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 CSULB

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #15 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 California State University - Northridge Journalism Report

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Journalism at SDSU

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of California - Irvine

#7

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 54 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Journalism at San Francisco State University

With a ranking of #8, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 74 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Journalism Report

#10

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Journalism at San Jose State

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, Chico State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Journalism Report

#12

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Journalism Report

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UAGC is $20,510 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full The University of Arizona Global Campus Journalism Report

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#16 in overall quality

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at California Baptist University

#15

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California
#21 in overall quality

Pacific Union College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. PUC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

PUC also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific Union College is $21,835 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Full PUC Journalism Report

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 78 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend USC.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.

Full University of Southern California Journalism Report

#17

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

PLNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for PLNU is $33,044 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

The school has an impressive 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 PLNU

#18

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#18 in overall quality

University of La Verne came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. ULV is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,780 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid per year to attend University of La Verne.

The school has an impressive 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 ULV

#19

Biola University

La Mirada, California

Biola University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Biola University is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Biola University

#20

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Loyola Marymount University

#21

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s journalism students in 2019-2020.

Chapman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman University is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Journalism students with aid.

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 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%.

Read full report on Journalism at Chapman

#22

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California

Pepperdine University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pepperdine is located in Malibu, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Pepperdine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $36,996 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid per year to attend Pepperdine University.

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 student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Pepperdine University

#23

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#23 in overall quality

Academy of Art University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree journalism students with aid.

Full Academy of Art University Journalism Report

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jfurrer.

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