2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 51 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for communications students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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.
Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named San Diego Mesa College the best value school in California for communication and media studies students. Located in the large city of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Diego Mesa College are $1,144 a year. While working on their degree, communications majors at San Diego Mesa College accumulate an average of around $5,750 in student debt.
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Out of the 51 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Channel Islands landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
CSUCI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,817 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at CSUCI take out an average of $14,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $203.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in California list. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
SFSU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,304 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communications majors at SFSU take out an average of $13,979 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $184.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means San Jose State University is a great value for communication and media studies students. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking.
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The excellent programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in California. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSULB are $6,846 per year. While working on their degree, communications majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $14,139 in student debt.
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California State University - Sacramento came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking. Sac State is a very large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sac State are $7,392 per year. Communications majors at Sac State take out an average of $15,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $136, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Media Studies at California State University - Sacramento Report
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California State University - Fullerton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and media studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State Fullerton are $6,976 per year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Cal State Fullerton carry an average student debtload of $14,415. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $167, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out is $14,857.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California list.
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With a ranking of #9, Sonoma State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,988 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at SSU take out is $19,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $349.
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California State University - San Marcos landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. CSUSM is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of San Marcos.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUSM are $7,727 a year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from CSUSM carry an average student debtload of $16,710.
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Request InformationBest Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools 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 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in California
Communication & Media Studies Related Majors for Communications
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
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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