Best Communications Colleges in California2026 Rankings
With 91 Communications programs spread across California, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
California offers 11 public and 19 private Communications programs in this ranking. Public universities average $40,638 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — accepts 3% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Communications graduates average $37,248, with a state-wide graduation rate of 81% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech)Private | Perfect· 57 | 3% | 93% | $7,003 | $102,669 | 3:1 | 26 | 1,023 |
| 2 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | Perfect· 54 | 4% | 93% | $1,323 | $89,527 | 6:1 | 49 | 7,841 |
| 3 | Harvey Mudd CollegePrivate | Elite· 49 | 13% | 94% | $18,937 | $107,923 | 8:1 | 26 | 915 |
| 4 | Claremont McKenna CollegePrivate | Elite· 48 | 11% | 95% | $14,929 | $68,541 | 8:1 | 43 | 1,379 |
| 5 | Pomona CollegePrivate | Elite· 48 | 7% | 93% | $5,099 | $41,100 | 7:1 | 39 | 1,638 |
| 6 | University of Southern CaliforniaPrivate | Excellent· 45 | 10% | 92% | $18,993 | $47,651 | 9:1 | 83 | 20,817 |
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoPublic | Excellent· 43 | 30% | 85% | $11,372 | $62,183 | 18:1 | 78 | 21,521 |
| 8 | Scripps CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 34% | 87% | $22,440 | $37,612 | 11:1 | 48 | 1,077 |
| 9 | University of San DiegoPrivate | Great· 41 | 47% | 82% | $19,998 | $40,776 | 14:1 | 43 | 5,619 |
| 10 | University of California-San DiegoPublic | Great· 41 | 25% | 88% | $10,389 | $33,046 | 19:1 | 71 | 33,787 |
| 11 | University of California-DavisPublic | Great· 41 | 42% | 85% | $12,304 | $42,569 | 21:1 | 91 | 31,777 |
| 12 | University of California-Santa BarbaraPublic | Great· 41 | 28% | 85% | $11,398 | $46,598 | 17:1 | 53 | 23,205 |
| 13 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 44% | 88% | $41,599 | $51,720 | 10:1 | 45 | 6,235 |
| 14 | University of California-Los AngelesPublic | Great· 40 | 9% | 93% | $11,065 | $41,763 | 18:1 | 75 | 33,040 |
| 15 | University of California-IrvinePublic | Great· 40 | 26% | 86% | $11,769 | $80,412 | 18:1 | 71 | 29,494 |
| 16 | University of California-BerkeleyPublic | Great· 40 | 12% | 93% | $11,424 | $43,696 | 18:1 | 80 | 33,073 |
| 17 | Pitzer CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 17% | 83% | $17,911 | $33,658 | 10:1 | 62 | 1,191 |
| 18 | Fresno Pacific UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 58% | 56% | $11,116 | $42,313 | 8:1 | 62 | 1,614 |
| 19 | California State University-Long BeachPublic | Great· 38 | 47% | 70% | $9,063 | $34,172 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 |
| 20 | University of California-RiversidePublic | Great· 38 | 63% | 77% | $12,449 | $66,430 | 23:1 | 60 | 22,644 |
| 21 | University of RedlandsPrivate | Strong· 37 | 81% | 71% | $20,649 | $21,354 | 11:1 | 38 | 2,095 |
| 22 | University of California-Santa CruzPublic | Strong· 37 | 63% | 74% | $13,001 | $25,358 | 22:1 | 56 | 17,812 |
| 23 | Pacific Union CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 42% | 51% | $18,211 | $62,855 | 11:1 | 41 | 910 |
| 24 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 40% | 80% | $32,869 | $41,113 | 11:1 | 50 | 7,171 |
| 25 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 50% | 85% | $40,201 | $48,398 | 13:1 | 43 | 3,629 |
| 26 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 56% | 80% | $39,414 | $44,601 | 12:1 | 54 | 7,629 |
| 27 | San Diego State UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $37,773 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 |
| 28 | William Jessup UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 77% | 61% | $18,555 | $39,364 | 9:1 | 28 | 1,021 |
| 29 | Concordia University-IrvinePrivate | Strong· 36 | 60% | 63% | $25,220 | $36,162 | 13:1 | 27 | 1,456 |
| 30 | Westmont CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 80% | 70% | $24,081 | $41,225 | 10:1 | 28 | 1,310 |