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2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

56 Ranked Colleges
10,632 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 121,387 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 18,646 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,210 and $21,875 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,632 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 56 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and journalism programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Communication & Journalism Report

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 284 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Communication & Journalism at UC Berkeley

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 919 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Communication & Journalism Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 364 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Los Angeles

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 517 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Communication & Journalism Report

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 323 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at University of California - Davis

California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 215 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Communication & Journalism at California State University - Fresno

#8

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#7 in overall quality

Pitzer College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pitzer is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitzer did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,922 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitzer College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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 Communication & Journalism at Pitzer College

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 512 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 239 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of California - San Diego

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 192 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#25 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Communication & Journalism Report

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Stan State Communication & Journalism Report

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 428 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at SDSU

California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 899 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Communication & Journalism Report

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at CSUB

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 570 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 206 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - San Bernardino

#12 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 138 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 278 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Communication & Journalism at CSUSM

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 492 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Southern California

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 650 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU Communication & Journalism Report

With a ranking of #23, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Communication & Journalism Report

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#14 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 451 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Jose State University

California State University - East Bay ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 160 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cal State East Bay Communication & Journalism Report

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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.

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