California · Journalism

Best institutions to study Journalism in California

The Journalism program focuses on the principles and practices of reporting, writing, and broadcasting news. It is designed for students who are passionate about storytelling and wish to explore the diverse cultural values and ethical…

Institutions
77
offering CIP 09.04
States & territories
52
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,425
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$35,668
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
14
College Scorecard
Median net price
$36,488
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
48%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Public · Bachelor's degree
$48,6378286%$19,333
2University of Southern California
Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$44,65115692%$26,873$16,250
3Pepperdine University
Malibu Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$42,5361083%$41,986
4Biola University
La Mirada Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$41,997768%$26,727$27,000
5Chapman University
Orange Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$41,6453682%$42,965$22,500
6California State University - Chico
Chico Public · Bachelor's degree
$35,6682563%$18,750
7San Francisco State University
San Francisco Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,7883050%$16,875
8University of California - Irvine
Irvine Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,1024087%$16,900
9California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento Public · Bachelor's degree
$30,6442956%$20,000
10California State University - Northridge
Northridge Public · Bachelor's degree
$30,5648757%$15,480

Career outlook

What this program leads to: News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists (SOC 27-3023).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
-3.9%
Decline
Openings / yr (US)
~4,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$60,280
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

SpeakingWritingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists earn in California

Jobs in California
4,140
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
annual
Best-paying metro
$91,420
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Editors
$111,810 avg · 14,830 jobs
Writers and Authors
$106,560 avg · 8,390 jobs
Film and Video Editors
$99,450 avg · 8,110 jobs
Photographers
$70,040 avg · 7,980 jobs
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
avg · 4,140 jobs
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
$148,200 avg · 3,140 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Journalism programs in California.

Which Journalism program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo tops the list at $48,637. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

What is the focus of the Journalism program?+

The Journalism program focuses on the principles and practices of reporting, writing, and broadcasting news. It is designed for students who are passionate about storytelling and wish to explore the diverse cultural values and ethical…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, writing, reading comprehension, active listening, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists?+

The national job outlook is about -3.9% growth with around 4,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card