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Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

82 Colleges
$22,552 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$35,833 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Colleges.

Top 15% Best Communication & Journalism Schools

#1

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA
$8,512 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named San Diego Mesa College the best value school in the Far Western US Region for communication and journalism students. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.

San Diego Mesa College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,512 in tuition and fees each 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

Out of the 82 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Channel Islands landed the # 3 spot on the list. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Camarillo.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $18,697 per 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.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at San Jose State University

#5

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gonzaga University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-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.

Gonzaga also claimed a spot on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Gonzaga University

#6

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA
$19,184 Average Tuition & Fees

San Francisco State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SFSU are $19,184 a 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.

Full Communication & Journalism at San Francisco State University Report

$19,272 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sac State are $19,272 a 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.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Sacramento

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #8 on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the 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.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

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

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA
$19,868 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Sonoma State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. SSU is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park.

SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $19,868 in tuition and fees each 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.

Read More…

$19,607 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public college with a fairly large student population.

CSUSM undergraduate students pay an average of $19,607 in tuition and fees each 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

$18,726 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CSULB are $18,726 a year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $14,434 in student debt.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Long Beach

#12

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at National University are $13,320 a year.

National University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

Read More…

Honorable 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 colleges 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

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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