At a glance · California

  • 68 colleges in California offer a bachelor's communication program: 65 awarded the degree in 2022-23 (federal IPEDS completions); 3 more report a communication admit rate in the UC/CSU data.
  • Largest programs by graduates in 2022-23: California State University-Fullerton (641), University of California-Santa Barbara (566), California State University-Sacramento (397).
  • Hardest reported gate into the program (only the UC and the CSU publish one): University of California-Berkeley — Media Studies, Fall 2025: 1,189 applied, 72 admitted (6%).
  • Highest reported admit rate into the program: California State University-Stanislaus — 100.0% (33 applied, 33 admitted, Fall 2025).
  • 1 CSU campus report communication on the transfer side only: freshmen enter as a pre-major and apply into the program later.
  • Highest median earnings four years after the degree: University of Southern California, $87,946.
  • Lowest average net price with aid: San Diego Christian College, $992 per year.

Cal State Monterey Bay reports communication on the transfer side only, which does not close the door to freshmen: they enter as a pre-major and apply into the program later. Everywhere else the first-year rate is the campus's own reporting for that program, and it is worth reading next to the campus's overall admit rate before deciding a school is out of reach. Admits are not enrollees. At most UC programs students are admitted to the campus, not the major. This page as JSON → · All 1150 colleges nationwide →

Hardest reported gate

6%
University of California-Berkeley
Media Studies, Fall 2025: 1,189 applied, 72 admitted

Highest reported admit rate

100.0%
California State University-Stanislaus
Communications, Fall 2025: 33 applied, 33 admitted

Highest earnings, 4 yrs out

$87,946
University of Southern California
median, graduates of this program

Lowest net price with aid

$992
San Diego Christian College
average for aid recipients, per year

Every college, one row each

Colleges with a reported gate into the program come first, hardest first; the rest are sorted by earnings, then by graduates. Degree awarded is the program the college conferred bachelor's degrees in during 2022-23, with the number of graduates (federal IPEDS completions). Program admit rate is the college system's own number for this major (UC Information Center, CSU Chancellor's Office). Net price is the average paid by aid recipients; full price is the cost of attendance. Earnings are federal College Scorecard medians four years after the degree.

College Gate into the program Degree awarded
· graduates 2022-23
Program
admit rate
Campus
admit rate
Net price
with aid
Full
price
Earnings
4 yrs out
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public · Test-blind
Media Studies
Fall 2025: 1,189 applied, 72 admitted · admit GPA 4.10–4.28
Mass Communication/Media Studies
226 graduates
6% 10% $13,481 $45,619 $75,612
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 1,083 applied, 311 admitted
impacted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
71 graduates
28.7% 30% $16,665 $32,265 $75,223
University of California-Davis
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communication
Fall 2025: 1,614 applied, 662 admitted · admit GPA 4.00–4.21
Communication, General
239 graduates
41% 46% $14,741 $41,238 $72,778
San Diego State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 1,133 applied, 506 admitted
impacted
Public Relations: 60.1% · Health Communication: 73.1% · Advertising: 69.2%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
290 graduates
44.7% 34% $15,364 $27,780 $67,414
California State University-Long Beach
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 907 applied, 631 admitted
impacted
Public Relations: 61.2%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
383 graduates
69.6% 47% $10,440 $22,679 $58,137
California State University-Bakersfield
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 206 applied, 162 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
102 graduates
78.6% 88% $5,652 $19,522 $50,989
San Jose State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 320 applied, 252 admitted
impacted
Advertising: 83.5% · Public Relations: 79.0%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +2
352 graduates
78.8% 80% $13,760 $26,593 —
California State University-Fullerton
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 422 applied, 343 admitted
impacted
Public Relations: 89.2% · Advertising: 87.3% · Speech Communication: 79.6%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
641 graduates
81.3% 87% $6,555 $18,269 $58,082
California State University-East Bay
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 92 applied, 76 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
91 graduates
82.6% 97% $9,320 $22,850 $57,708
San Francisco State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 240 applied, 206 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
224 graduates
85.8% 96% $12,278 $26,488 $63,731
California State University-San Bernardino
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 151 applied, 132 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
159 graduates
87.4% 98% $4,564 $17,427 $49,171
California State University-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 282 applied, 249 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
188 graduates
88.3% 92% $3,967 $18,403 —
California State University-Channel Islands
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 108 applied, 96 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
71 graduates
88.9% 93% $9,849 $23,561 $59,332
University of California-Riverside
CA · Public · Test-blind
Media And Cultural Studies
Fall 2025: 524 applied, 465 admitted · admit GPA 3.45–4.00
— 89% 88% $14,304 $38,942 —
California State University-Fresno
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 95 applied, 85 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
68 graduates
89.5% 96% $7,000 $20,095 $51,788
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 115 applied, 103 admitted
Mass Media: 92.2% · Public Relations: 100.0%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
32 graduates
89.6% 99% $13,171 $25,170 —
University of California-Merced
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communication And Media
Fall 2025: 1,259 applied, 1,134 admitted · admit GPA 3.39–4.00
— 90% 95% $11,983 $39,665 —
California State University-San Marcos
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 371 applied, 339 admitted
Mass Media: 90.5%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
199 graduates
91.4% 96% $10,229 $21,649 $59,842
California State University-Sacramento
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 258 applied, 237 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
397 graduates
91.9% 94% $9,338 $22,945 $59,404
California State University-Northridge
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 299 applied, 281 admitted
Public Relations: 93.5%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
235 graduates
94.0% 93% $7,021 $20,485 $57,138
California State University-Chico
CA · Public · Test-blind
Speech Communication
Fall 2025: 207 applied, 195 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
92 graduates
94.2% 94% $14,480 $26,283 $58,391
California State University-Monterey Bay
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 90 applied, 85 admitted
transfer path only · freshmen enter as a pre-major
— 94.4% 95% $13,663 $26,987 —
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public · Test-blind
Public Relations
Fall 2025: 192 applied, 182 admitted
Communications: 90.9%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
177 graduates
94.8% 74% $11,531 $23,955 $56,278
California State University-Dominguez Hills
CA · Public · Test-blind
Public Relations
Fall 2025: 103 applied, 98 admitted
Public Relations/Image Management +1
84 graduates
95.1% 91% $8,615 $23,191 $57,478
Sonoma State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 159 applied, 152 admitted
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
90 graduates
95.6% 95% $12,885 $24,648 $68,833
California State University-Stanislaus
CA · Public · Test-blind
Communications
Fall 2025: 33 applied, 33 admitted
Communication and Media Studies: 90.5%
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
63 graduates
100.0% 98% $6,067 $19,739 $54,007
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
335 graduates
— 10% $32,740 $90,300 $87,946
Santa Clara University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
128 graduates
— 44% $50,062 $82,026 $84,206
Pepperdine University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other +5
102 graduates
— 50% $58,098 $93,512 $81,417
University of San Francisco
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +2
94 graduates
— 51% $41,431 $80,141 $81,285
Chapman University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +4
227 graduates
— 56% $46,555 $83,146 $80,139
Pacific Union College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
10 graduates
— 42% $41,008 $49,404 $77,121
University of California-Santa Barbara
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
566 graduates
— 44% $16,109 $41,573 $72,976
Loyola Marymount University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
105 graduates
— 40% $48,381 $83,943 $69,144
University of San Diego
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
82 graduates
— 47% $30,365 $78,720 $68,913
California Lutheran University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
65 graduates
— 89% $30,109 $68,426 $68,806
Woodbury University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
7 graduates
— 73% $33,692 $58,010 $68,020
University of California-San Diego
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
211 graduates
— 27% $12,470 $38,701 $67,302
University of La Verne
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
5 graduates
— 48% $20,161 $62,278 $66,891
Saint Mary's College of California
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
34 graduates
— 89% $30,378 $77,659 $64,456
Westmont College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
23 graduates
— 80% $29,053 $71,150 $62,535
Biola University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication +1
56 graduates
— 60% $31,495 $62,757 $62,319
California Baptist University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +2
54 graduates
— 74% $26,285 $54,038 $60,883
University of the Pacific
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
10 graduates
— 95% $25,447 $71,515 $60,666
Point Loma Nazarene University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies +2
29 graduates
— 82% $38,729 $60,488 $60,187
Dominican University of California
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
6 graduates
— 96% $35,333 $71,751 $58,005
The Master's University and Seminary
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
20 graduates
— 76% $32,647 $54,845 $57,507
Concordia University-Irvine
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
18 graduates
— 60% $28,115 $58,682 $56,388
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
194 graduates
— 11% $12,548 $38,614 —
John Paul the Great Catholic University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
77 graduates
— 79% $34,666 $52,367 —
Ashford University
CA · Private for-profit
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
31 graduates
— — $31,266 — —
Azusa Pacific University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +2
30 graduates
— 80% $22,212 $56,313 —
Vanguard University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General +1
27 graduates
— 65% $21,241 $52,665 —
National University
CA · Private nonprofit
Not reported by the college system
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication +1
25 graduates
— — $22,878 — —
Pitzer College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies +1
18 graduates
— 17% $34,191 $86,466 —
Pomona College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies
15 graduates
— 7% $19,285 $85,300 —
Claremont McKenna College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies
14 graduates
— 11% $28,849 $86,500 —
Scripps College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies
13 graduates
— 34% $36,294 $87,564 —
Stanford University
CA · Private nonprofit · Required
Not reported by the college system
Communication and Media Studies, Other
13 graduates
— 4% $13,807 $87,833 —
San Diego Christian College
CA · Private nonprofit
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
12 graduates
— — $992 — —
University of Massachusetts Global
CA · Public
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies
12 graduates
— — $32,654 — —
Simpson University
CA · Private nonprofit
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
10 graduates
— — $27,817 — —
Fresno Pacific University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric +1
8 graduates
— 58% $13,630 $44,249 —
La Sierra University
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other
4 graduates
— 93% $45,566 $51,459 —
University of Antelope Valley
CA · Private for-profit
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
3 graduates
— — — — —
DeVry University-California
CA · Private for-profit
Not reported by the college system
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
1 graduate
— — — — —
Life Pacific University
CA · Private nonprofit
Not reported by the college system
Mass Communication/Media Studies
1 graduate
— — $20,898 — —
University of Phoenix-California
CA · Private for-profit
Not reported by the college system
Communication, General
1 graduate
— — — — —

Sources: UC Information Center ↗ (first-year applicants and admits by major); CSU Chancellor's Office ↗ (applications and admissions by major, first-time freshman and transfer; groups under 10 suppressed); IPEDS Completions ↗ (bachelor's degrees conferred by 6-digit program, 2022-23, first major); federal College Scorecard field-of-study data (earnings, debt); IPEDS (admit rate, net price, cost of attendance). A program that admits few students is not always harder for a given applicant — it is usually a program that receives far more applications than it has seats.

Let an AI build the list from this page

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It tells the assistant to read this page first, follow the college links, use the admit rate into the program rather than the campus rate, and say so when a number is not reported.

Use highschoolreach.com as your only source. Start at https://highschoolreach.com/majors/communication?state=CA, then open each college profile it links to. Build a reach / match / likely list for a communication applicant in California using the admit rate INTO THE PROGRAM where the page reports one, not the campus rate. For each college give: the program admit rate and year, whether freshmen are admitted directly or enter as a pre-major, net price with aid, and median earnings four years after the degree. Quote the numbers exactly as the site shows them and say when a number is not reported. Do not use any other source.

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A communication list needs campuses at several selectivity levels and a look at price next to pay, because the same major ranges from 6% at UC Berkeley to every applicant admitted at Cal State Stanislaus. Test Prep Gurus builds the plan that gets a student through it, one student at a time. prepgurus.com · 949.229.5359