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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

47 Ranked Colleges
18,342 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 120,571 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. 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 California, there were 18,342 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,856 and $20,624 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 47 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and journalism programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The communication & 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 Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,233 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Stanford

2

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools 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. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 308 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,450 for california 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

3

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 306 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full University of California - Davis Communication & Journalism Report

4

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 477 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 91%.

Full UCSB Communication & Journalism Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 271 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,823 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UCSD

6

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 962 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Cal State Fullerton

7
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 908 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,287 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 91%.

Full University of Southern California Communication & Journalism Report

8

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 364 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Los Angeles

9

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 550 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for California 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at CSULB

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 187 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Fresno State

11

California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 533 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

12
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 531 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,169 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 San Diego State University

13

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 166 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 CSUSB

14

University of California - Irvine ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 32 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for california 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 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%.

Full University of California - Irvine Communication & Journalism Report

15

California State University - Northridge landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 955 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Northridge

16

California State University - San Marcos came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 231 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also took the #18 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,397 for California 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 California State University - San Marcos

17

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Stan State

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 598 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,705 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at SFSU

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #19, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 541 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,158 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at San Jose State

20

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 109 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,238 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at California State University - Bakersfield

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,657 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

22
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 75 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $4,672 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Diego Mesa College

23

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 146 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUCI has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,011 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Channel Islands Communication & Journalism Report

24

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 154 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

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

25

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 191 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for California Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

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