2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You
Communication & Journalism is the #12 most popular major in California with 17,589 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
The Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 54 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for communication and journalism students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 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 California. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Diego Mesa College are $1,144 per year. Communication & Journalism majors at San Diego Mesa College take out an average of $5,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at San Diego Mesa College
Request Information
Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Channel Islands landed the # 2 spot on the list. CSUCI is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Camarillo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $6,817 per year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from CSUCI carry an average student debtload of $14,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $203.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Channel Islands
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
San Jose State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California list.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California 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 $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $16,719. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $310.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 5% of our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in California ranking.
Full Communication & Journalism at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
Request Information
Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. 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 in-state undergraduate at SFSU are $7,304 a year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at SFSU accumulate an average of around $16,122 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $167, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Sac State take out is $17,035. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $136, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and journalism students. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSULB are $6,846 a year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at CSULB take out is $14,434.
Read full report on Communication & Journalism at California State University - Long Beach
Request Information
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Cal State Fullerton is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fullerton.
Cal State Fullerton undergraduate students pay an average of $6,976 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Cal State Fullerton carry an average student debtload of $15,001. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $167, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Communication & Journalism at California State University - Fullerton Report
Request Information
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 moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Rohnert Park.
SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,988 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Communication & Journalism majors at SSU take out an average of $19,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $349.
Request Information
California State University - San Marcos ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in California list. 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 in-state undergraduate at CSUSM are $7,727 a year. Communication & Journalism majors at CSUSM take out an average of $16,710 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Communication & Journalism at California State University - San Marcos Report
Request InformationBest Value Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 2,086 |
| Oregon | 1,375 |
| Hawaii | 292 |
| Nevada | 523 |
| Alaska | 30 |
More Communication & Journalism Rankings in California
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.