2023 Best Journalism Schools in California
Finding the Best Journalism 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Journalism Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 24 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Journalism Schools in California
Check out the journalism programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Journalism Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo the best school in California for journalism students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
After completing their degree, journalism graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $18,581. 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
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Southern California is a great place for journalism students. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
On average, journalism graduates from USC take out $18,379 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Journalism at University of Southern California
The excellent 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 fairly large student population.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chapman University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Journalism Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, journalism majors at Chapman accumulate an average of around $22,500 in student debt.
Out of the 24 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Chico landed the # 5 spot on the list. Chico State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Chico.
Journalism majors at Chico State take out an average of $19,479 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Journalism at California State University - Chico
San Jose State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Journalism Schools in California list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Journalism Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, journalism graduates from SDSU carry an average student debtload of $23,046.
Pepperdine University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best journalism programs. Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best journalism programs. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, journalism graduates from SFSU take out $17,052 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $111, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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 |
More Journalism Rankings in California
Journalism Related Rankings by Major
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 24 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.
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