2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies School for You
With 66,787 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, communication and media studies is the #10 most popular major in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 78 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which 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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Out of the 78 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego Mesa College landed the # 2 spot on the list. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Diego Mesa College are $8,512 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from San Diego Mesa College carry an average student debtload of $5,750.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Camarillo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CSUCI are $18,697 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at CSUCI accumulate an average of around $14,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $203.
Full Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Channel Islands Report
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Out of the 78 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $19,732 per year.
San Jose State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list.
Full Communication & Media Studies at San Jose State University Report
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Out of the 78 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SFSU are $19,184 per year. While working on their degree, communications majors at SFSU accumulate an average of around $13,979 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $184.
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California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a very large student population.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,272 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communications majors at Sac State accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $136, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Sonoma State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. SSU is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Rohnert Park.
SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $19,868 in tuition and fees each year. On average, communications graduates from SSU take out $19,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $349.
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California State University - Long Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #8 on the list. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $18,726 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $14,139.
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California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State Fullerton is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fullerton.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cal State Fullerton are $18,856 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Cal State Fullerton take out is $14,415. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $167, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - San Marcos landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CSUSM are $19,607 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at CSUSM take out is $16,710.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at California State University - San Marcos
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With a ranking of #11, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $28,105 in tuition and fees each year. On average, communications graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $14,857 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 5% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 13 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
| 14 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona, CA |
| 15 | California State University - Chico | Chico, CA |
Best Communication & Media Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and media studies colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 12,754 |
| Washington | 1,139 |
| Oregon | 416 |
| Nevada | 367 |
| Hawaii | 265 |
| Alaska | 11 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Majors Related to Communications
One of 5 majors within the area of study, communication and media studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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