Best Communication and Media Studies Programs in California
Updated
Part of Best Communication Colleges in California
This page ranks the 45 Communication and Media Studies programs in California by the median earnings of Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, highest first. Santa Clara University ranks 1st with median earnings of $84,206 four years after completing, followed by University of Southern California at $75,864 and University of California-Berkeley at $75,612.
Across the 44 programs with a published figure, median earnings range from $84,206 to $33,043, with a median of $59,623. For 4 of the 45 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 23 public and 22 private nonprofit institutions. San Diego Christian College reports the lowest average net price at $992.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Stanislaus posts the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $84,206 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University reports $84,206 in median earnings for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $75,864 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California admits 10% of applicants and posts median earnings of $75,864 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $75,612 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| A public university in Berkeley, University of California-Berkeley shows median earnings of $75,612 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $75,223 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 4th on this list, with a cohort of 77 graduates and median earnings of $75,223 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $73,461 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University reports an average net price of $33,559 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $73,461 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $72,976 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara posts median earnings of $72,976 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 582 graduates. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $72,778 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| For its Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed, University of California-Davis reports median federal debt of $13,000, and its graduates earn a median of $72,778 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $69,144 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University ranks 931st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a median of $69,144 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $68,913 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| University of San Diego reports median earnings of $68,913 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 52%. | |||||
| 10 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $68,833 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University admits 93% of applicants and reports an average net price of $8,310 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 11 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $68,592 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco reports median federal debt of $21,875 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed, and its graduates earn a median of $68,592 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Woodbury University · Burbank, CA | $68,020 | $33,692 | $28,815 | 81.7% |
| Woodbury University reports median federal debt of $26,960 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a median of $68,020 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $67,302 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego reports $67,302 in median earnings of Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing and carries a median federal debt of $13,193 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $66,891 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| With an admission rate of 71%, University of La Verne ranks 14th on this list and posts median earnings of $66,891 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Saint Mary's College of California · Moraga, CA | $64,456 | $30,378 | $19,462 | 86.5% |
| Saint Mary's College of California posts median earnings of $64,456 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $30,378. | |||||
| 16 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $63,731 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University ranks 51st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a median federal debt of $13,703 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 17 | Westmont College · Santa Barbara, CA | $62,535 | $29,053 | $20,899 | 77.1% |
| Westmont College admits 77% of applicants and reports $62,535 in median earnings for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $61,653 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| California Lutheran University has an average net price of $30,109 and a median federal debt of $20,802 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $61,389 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University reports $61,389 in median earnings of Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing and ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $60,883 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University ranks 20th on this list, with a median federal debt of $25,000 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $60,666 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| University of the Pacific posts median earnings of $60,666 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing and admits 71% of applicants. | |||||
| 22 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $59,842 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos carries an average net price of $10,229 and reports $59,842 in median earnings of Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $59,404 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| Reporting a median federal debt of $15,000 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed, California State University-Sacramento ranks 10th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $59,332 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands admits 95% of applicants and reports $59,332 in median earnings for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $58,391 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| Median earnings of $58,391 for Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing are reported by California State University-Chico, which also lists an average net price of $14,480. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $58,137 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| An admission rate of 46% and a median federal debt of $13,766 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed accompany California State University-Long Beach's 26th position on this list. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $58,082 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton shows a median federal debt of $13,000 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $58,082 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Dominican University of California · San Rafael, CA | No published median | $35,333 | $24,572 | 83.5% |
| Dominican University of California, a private nonprofit university in San Rafael, carries an average net price of $35,333 and a school-wide median federal debt of $27,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 29 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $57,708 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| California State University-East Bay admits 97% of applicants and reports median earnings of $57,708 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | The Master's University and Seminary · Santa Clarita, CA | $57,507 | $32,647 | $24,624 | 84.0% |
| The Master's University and Seminary lists an average net price of $24,624 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $22,250 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 31 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $57,478 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills ranks 46th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $57,478 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $57,138 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| With an average net price of $7,021, California State University-Northridge posts a median federal debt of $13,999 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 33 | San Diego Christian College · Santee, CA | $56,685 | $992 | $992 | 30.8% |
| San Diego Christian College carries the lowest average net price on the page at $992 and admits 31% of applicants. | |||||
| 34 | Concordia University-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $56,388 | $28,115 | $25,431 | 66.0% |
| Concordia University-Irvine reports median earnings of $56,388 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $25,431 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 35 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $56,278 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a median federal debt of $14,725 among Communication and Media Studies completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 36 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $54,007 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| An admission rate of 98% applies to California State University-Stanislaus, which reports median earnings of $54,007 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 37 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $53,781 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University reports median earnings of $53,781 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $31,495. | |||||
| 38 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $51,788 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| A public university in Fresno, California State University-Fresno admits 95% of applicants and its Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a median of $51,788 four years after completing. | |||||
| 39 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $50,989 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $16,600 in federal loans school-wide at California State University-Bakersfield, which ranks 89th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 40 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $49,171 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino ranks 40th on this list and posts an average net price of $2,681 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 41 | Point Loma Nazarene University · San Diego, CA | $47,092 | $38,729 | $30,999 | 83.7% |
| With a 22-graduate earnings cohort, Point Loma Nazarene University shows median earnings of $47,092 for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 42 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $41,286 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University reports an average net price of $13,760 and a median of $41,286 in earnings for its Communication and Media Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 43 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $39,369 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University admits 63% of applicants and its Communication and Media Studies graduates earn a median of $39,369 four years after completing. | |||||
| 44 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $34,526 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University ranks 481st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $22,212. | |||||
| 45 | Vanguard University of Southern California · Costa Mesa, CA | $33,043 | $21,241 | $17,225 | 62.4% |
| The Communication and Media Studies program at Vanguard University of Southern California reports median earnings of $33,043 four years after completing, with an average net price of $17,225 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Communication, General graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 4 of the 45 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 44 schools with a published figure. Santa Clara University leads the list at $84,206, and the gap to second-ranked University of Southern California is $8,342.