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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

48 Colleges
$8,871 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,706 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, communication and media studies was ranked 10th in California. In fact, 12,754 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 48 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for communications students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our analysis found California State University - Channel Islands to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in the midsize suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $6,817 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at CSUCI take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $17,134. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $203.

Full Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Channel Islands Report

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

Out of the 48 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Francisco.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SFSU are $7,304 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at SFSU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $16,107. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $184.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at San Francisco State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.

San Jose State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,852 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Long Beach is a great value for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.

CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at CSULB take out an average of $15,925 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Long Beach Report

Out of the 48 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the # 5 spot on the list. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $7,392 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from Sac State carry an average student debtload of $18,200. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $136, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Cal State Fullerton undergraduate students pay an average of $6,976 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Cal State Fullerton take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $15,848. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $167, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $15,492.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 10% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.

Full Communication & Media Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

#8

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA

With a ranking of #8, Sonoma State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SSU are $7,988 per year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, communications majors at SSU accumulate an average of around $18,848 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $349.

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With a ranking of #9, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUSM is a large public school located in the large suburb of San Marcos.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUSM are $7,727 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from CSUSM carry an average student debtload of $18,126.

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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.

Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, communications graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $17,551.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 1,139
Oregon 416
Nevada 367
Hawaii 265
Alaska 11

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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