2024 top Communication & Media Studies schools in California

Explore the top Communication & Media Studies schools in California for 2024. Find your ideal academic hub in the Golden State! 🎓🌟

1/15/20245 min read

Guess what? Communication & Media Studies is one of the coolest degree programs in the U.S., ranking as the #10 most popular major nationwide. But hey, picking the perfect school for it? Not an easy task.

In the 2024 rankings, College Factual did a deep dive into 47 California schools to find the absolute best for students diving into communication & media studies. Drumroll, please! These colleges and universities handed out a whopping 13,181 degrees in communication & media studies during the 2020-2021 academic year. Talk about making waves! 🌟🎓

Choosing a Great Communication & Media Studies School

Picking the right communication & media studies school is a big deal, and we get that! Check out our rankings to make this choice a bit easier. For our top-notch Communication & Media Studies School rankings, we've gathered results from different degree levels and spiced things up based on the number of degrees handed out. To find your perfect match, why not filter through the various degree levels below? It's all about finding the school that vibes with you! 🎓✨

Pick Your Communication & Media Studies Degree Level

Choosing the right college is a big deal, right? So, we've got your back with our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in California ranking. We've got loads of other rankings too, all to help you nail that decision. And hey, you can even filter the list by location to find schools nearby.

But wait, there's more! Check out College Combat, our cool tool that lets you throw your favorite schools into the ring, see how they stack up on stuff that matters to you. When you've got a sec, give it a go - maybe even bookmark the link so you don't lose it! 🎓✨

Best Schools for Communication & Media Studies in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the communications degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Communications

1) University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

Hey, if you're into communication & media studies, you gotta check out the University of Southern California! It's in the cool city of Los Angeles, and it's a pretty big private university. Ranked #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide, USC is awesome overall. Last year, around 567 communication & media studies students graduated from USC, and guess what? They make $17,078 more than your average communications graduate. Interested in knowing more about a degree in communication & media studies at USC? Read on! 🎓🌟

2) University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

If you're into Communication & Media Studies, UC Berkeley is where it's at! Situated in the cool city of Berkeley, this public university rocks a big student crowd. And guess what? It's ranked #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide – that's some serious academic street cred!

In the latest data, about 268 bright minds graduated with a degree in Communication & Media Studies from UC Berkeley. And here's the sweet part: these grads score an extra $10,426 in earnings compared to the average in their field.

3) University of California - Davis
Davis, CA

UC Davis is the bomb! Imagine this: a pretty big public university hanging out in the comfy suburb of Davis. And get this, it's ranked #52 out of a crazy 2,217 schools nationwide – talk about impressive, right? Now, check it out: about 300 awesome people snagged a degree in communication & media studies from UC Davis in the latest data year. And here's the sweet part – these grads are pulling in an average of $38,895 in their early careers! 🚀💸

4) University of California - Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA

For communication & media studies, the University of California - Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a solid pick! It's a big public university in the chill suburb of Santa Barbara, ranking #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide—pretty awesome, right?

Around 469 students graduated in communication & media studies at UCSB recently. And guess what? UCSB grads in this field earn $3,193 more than your average communications graduate. That's some cool info to consider! 🎓✨

5) Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA

SCU is this cool medium-sized university in Santa Clara – not too big, not too small. Guess what? It's ranked #50 out of a bunch of schools nationwide, making it awesome overall!

So, about 142 students got their communication & media studies degree from SCU recently. And get this – SCU grads in this field earn around $15,179 more than the average peeps with the same degree. How cool is that? 🎓✨

6) University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA


Hey, so UCSD is in the cool city of La Jolla, and it's a big public university with lots of students. It's rocking a solid #38 out of 2,217 colleges in the Best Colleges rank, making it awesome overall.

In the latest data, about 271 students scored their degree in communication & media studies at UCSD. Those grads are reporting an average early career salary of $34,173. Not too shabby, right? 🚀🎓

7) Stanford University
Stanford, CA


Hey, so Stanford is in this big suburb, right? It's a private not-for-profit university with lots of students. And get this, it's ranked #3 out of like 2,217 colleges across the country – pretty awesome, huh?

Now, let's talk about the cool stuff. Around 55 students recently got their degree in communication & media studies from Stanford. And guess what? After graduating, they're making about $14,987 more than the usual income for people with that major. Talk about a boost! 🚀🎓

8) San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA


Hey, so SFSU is in the heart of San Francisco, and it's this cool public university with a bunch of students. They're like 35th out of 168 colleges in California, pretty neat!

Now, get this - about 343 peeps just like you graduated in communication & media studies from SFSU recently. And guess what? Those grads from San Francisco State University are pocketing an extra $4,759 compared to your regular communications student. Cha-ching! 💸🎓

9) San Jose State University
San Jose, CA


In the lively city of San Jose, there's San Jose State, a bustling public university with a massive student crew. Ranked at a cool #161 out of 2,217 schools nationwide, it's a top-notch place. Dig this: in the latest data, about 332 rad individuals graduated with a degree in communication & media studies from San Jose State University. And here's the kicker – if you ride with them for this degree, your earnings could get a boost of around $7,301 compared to the average income of other communication & media studies majors. Pretty sweet deal, right? 🚀🎓

10) University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA


Chillin' in the awesome city of San Fran, USFCA is a cool private university. It's not crazy big, just the right size. Ranked 24th out of 168 schools in California for overall awesomeness! About 119 of us rocked the communication & media studies degree last year. And guess what? If you snag your degree from the University of San Francisco, you're rolling in an extra $3,894 compared to your average communications student. 🌉🎓💰

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