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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

72 Ranked Colleges
22,701 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 120,571 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,266 and had an average of $24,758 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 22,701 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,833 and $21,433 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 72 colleges that offer a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and journalism program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $1,233 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Stanford

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $8,450 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of California - Berkeley

2

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 544 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

4

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 306 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5

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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 477 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Communication & Journalism at UCSB

6

University of California - San Diego came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 271 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,823 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UCSD

7

California State University - Fullerton landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 962 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,590 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.

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

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 908 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Southern California

9

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 364 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Communication & Journalism Report

10

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 550 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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

Full CSULB Communication & Journalism Report

11
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 582 students in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $7,689 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Washington State University

12

California State University - Fresno came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 187 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

13

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 533 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Communication & Journalism Report

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 531 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 San Diego State University Communication & Journalism Report

15
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 807 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UO has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $13,666 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Oregon

16

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 166 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 California State University - San Bernardino Communication & Journalism Report

17

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 259 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNLV, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $8,991 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

18

University of California - Irvine came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $6,540 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at University of California - Irvine

19

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 955 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,266 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Communication & Journalism Report

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 231 diplomas to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,397 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at CSUSM

21

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Stan State

22
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 598 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $10,705 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Communication & Journalism at SFSU

23
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 541 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $12,158 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full San Jose State Communication & Journalism Report

24
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $9,979 for far western us region communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 Western Washington University Communication & Journalism Report

25

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,238 for Far Western US Region Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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