2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, communication and journalism was ranked #11 in the country. In fact 120,571 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 82 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for communication and journalism students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best Communication & Journalism Schools
Our analysis found San Diego Mesa College to be the best value school for communication and journalism students who want to pursue a degree in the Far Western US Region . 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. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at San Diego Mesa College take out is $5,750.
Full Communication & Journalism at San Diego Mesa College Report
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The excellent programs at California State University - Channel Islands helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in the Far Western US Region . CSUCI is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Camarillo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CSUCI are $18,697 a year. Communication & Journalism majors at CSUCI take out an average of $14,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $203, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and journalism schools in the Far Western US Region . San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Jose State are $19,732 a year.
San Jose State also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Communication & Journalism at San Jose State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gonzaga University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gonzaga are $48,470 per year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Gonzaga carry an average student debtload of $26,342.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Gonzaga also did well on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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San Francisco State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. 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. On average, communication and journalism graduates from SFSU take out $16,122 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $167.
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California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,272 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at Sac State accumulate an average of around $17,035 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $136.
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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 journalism students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly 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. Communication & Journalism majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out an average of $16,719 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $310.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also did well on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Sonoma State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. SSU is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SSU are $19,868 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at SSU take out is $19,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $349, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - San Marcos came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public college with a 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 communication and journalism majors at CSUSM take out is $16,710.
Full Communication & Journalism at California State University - San Marcos Report
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California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSULB are $18,726 per year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $14,434 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #12, National University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
National University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, National University also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.
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Request InformationHonorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Communication & Journalism students in the Far Western US Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | California State University - Chico | Chico, CA |
| 14 | California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton, CA |
| 15 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 16 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
Best Communication & Journalism Colleges by State
Explore the best communication and journalism schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 17,589 |
| Washington | 2,086 |
| Oregon | 1,375 |
| Hawaii | 292 |
| Nevada | 523 |
| Alaska | 30 |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Communication & Journalism Related Majors for Communication & Journalism
Communication & Journalism Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Media Studies | 66,787 |
| Public Relations & Advertising | 21,099 |
| Radio, Television & Digital Communication | 17,669 |
| Journalism | 13,552 |
| Communication & Journalism (Other) | 1,128 |
| Publishing | 336 |
Majors Similar to Communication & Journalism
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
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 Josh Hallett.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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