Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

23 Colleges
$31,564 Avg Salary
$23,720 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree School for You

Journalism is the #66 most popular major in California with 1,622 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California

Check out the journalism bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our analysis found University of Southern California to be the best school for journalism students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, journalism majors at USC accumulate an average of around $16,644 in student debt.

Full Journalism at University of Southern California Report

Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 2 spot on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, journalism graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $18,144. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $310.

Full Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

#3

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Loyola Marymount University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best journalism schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Read full report on Journalism at Loyola Marymount University

#4

Chapman University

Orange, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chapman University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Journalism majors at Chapman take out an average of $19,445 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at California State University - Chico helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best journalism schools in California. Chico State is a large public school located in the city of Chico.

On average, journalism graduates from Chico State take out $18,842 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Journalism at California State University - Chico

San Jose State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.

Full Journalism at San Jose State University Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for journalism students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, journalism graduates from SDSU take out $21,359 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Journalism at San Diego State University Report

#9

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

Pepperdine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for journalism students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Read More…

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, journalism graduates from SFSU take out $19,739 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $111, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Journalism at San Francisco State University Report

Best Journalism Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 216
Oregon 155
Nevada 156
Hawaii 11
Alaska 19

Journalism is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Journalism

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 Jfurrer.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.