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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Journalism in California

186 Ranked Colleges
18,342 Degrees Awarded
$33,600 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 California, there were 18,342 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,856 and $20,624 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California” ranking analyzed 186 colleges that offered a degree in communication and journalism. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their communication and journalism program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Communication & Journalism in California

1

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, John Paul the Great Catholic University landed the #1 spot on the list. JPCatholic is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Escondido, California. It awarded 55 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full JPCatholic Communication & Journalism Report

2

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, International Technological University landed the #2 spot on the list. International Technological University is a small school located in San Jose, California that handed out 27 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at ITU

3
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College Hollywood landed the #3 spot on the list. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Columbia College Hollywood Communication & Journalism Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 955 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

5
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 186 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the #5 spot on the list. Westmont is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

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 Westmont College

6

California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 962 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 more about Communication & Journalism at Cal State Fullerton

7
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. 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.

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 full report on Communication & Journalism at San Francisco State University

8
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California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thousand Oaks, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at CLU

9
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San Diego Christian College
Santee, California

San Diego Christian College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Santee, California, and it awarded 11 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Diego Christian College

10
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Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #10, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. Chapman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Chapman

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 146 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Channel Islands

12
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College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

College of San Mateo came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. CSM is a medium-sized public school situated in San Mateo, California. It awarded 74 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

Full CSM Communication & Journalism Report

13

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 533 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

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

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 477 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

15
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Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

With a ranking of #15, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 190 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Communication & Journalism at Pepperdine

16
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Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Holy Names University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oakland, California. It awarded 16 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Holy Names University

16
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Life Pacific College
San Dimas, California

Life Pacific College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. San Dimas, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at LIFE Bible College

18
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Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #18, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. Loyola Marymount University is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 168 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Loyola Marymount

19
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Pitzer College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 13 ’s communication and journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Pitzer College

20
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Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 77 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Biola University Communication & Journalism Report

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. California State University - San Marcos is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 231 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Communication & Journalism Report

22
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 541 degrees to qualified ’s communication and journalism students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Communication & Journalism at San Jose State University

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 364 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Cal State LA

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communication and journalism degrees to 908 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full USC Communication & Journalism Report

25

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California ranking. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Vanguard University of Southern California

Rest of the Best 28 in Schools Highly Focused on Communication & Journalism Major in California

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
27
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California
28

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