Best Communications Teacher, Postsecondary programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism.
179 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 16,083 people a year. The job pays a median of $135,000 in California across about 3,140 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
17 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 09.0101In California → | 8,056 | 50.1% | 143 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 09.0701In California → | 2,880 | 17.9% | 65 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0100In California → | 1,752 | 10.9% | 23 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 09.0401In California → | 1,326 | 8.2% | 73 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 5 | CIP 09.0702In California → | 620 | 3.9% | 19 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 6 | CIP 09.0102In California → | 511 | 3.2% | 18 | $34,858 | $25,000 |
| 7 | CIP 09.0900In California → | 249 | 1.5% | 12 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 8 | CIP 09.0902In California → | 210 | 1.3% | 5 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 9 | CIP 09.0903In California → | 176 | 1.1% | 8 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 10 | CIP 52.0501In California → | 102 | 0.6% | 2 | $41,000 | $26,000 |
| 11 | CIP 09.0499In California → | 51 | 0.3% | 2 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 12 | CIP 09.0402In California → | 48 | 0.3% | 3 | $34,515 | $24,250 |
| 13 | CIP 09.9999In California → | 31 | 0.2% | 6 | $36,931 | $24,500 |
| 14 | CIP 09.0905In California → | 29 | 0.2% | 3 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 15 | CIP 09.0907In California → | 29 | 0.2% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
| 16 | CIP 50.0607In California → | 12 | 0.1% | 3 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 17 | CIP 09.0906In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $39,658 | $24,500 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 41 of the 179 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 890 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $47,651 | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 2 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 794 | Radio and Television | $27,278 | 57% | — | 93% |
| 3 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 726 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $34,120 | 70% | — | 91% |
| 4 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 697 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $34,172 | 69% | — | 46% |
| 5 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 642 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $37,773 | 76% | — | 36% |
| 6 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 639 | Communication, General | $46,598 | 83% | — | 33% |
| 7 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 365 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $39,304 | 56% | — | 94% |
| 8 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 342 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 9 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 337 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 53% | — | 91% |
| 10 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 336 | Mass Communication/Media Studies | $43,696 | 93% | — | 11% |
| 11 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 318 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $40,790 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 12 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 271 | Communication, General | $42,569 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 13 | Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 266 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 34% | — | — |
| 14 | Chapman University Orange, CA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 262 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $44,601 | 82% | $42,965 | 65% |
| 15 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 257 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 36% | — | — |
| 16 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 241 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 30% | — | — |
| 17 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 239 | Communication, General | $33,046 | 86% | — | 27% |
| 18 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 225 | Communication, General | — | 93% | — | 9% |
| 19 | Moorpark College Moorpark, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 224 | Radio and Television | — | 44% | — | — |
| 20 | Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 200 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 48% | — | — |
| 21 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 186 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | $62,183 | 86% | — | 31% |
| 22 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 186 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 45% | — | — |
| 23 | Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 182 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 36% | — | — |
| 24 | Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 179 | Radio and Television | — | 32% | — | — |
| 25 | Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 170 | Speech Communication and Rhetoric | — | 48% | — | — |
All 179 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 890 | 7 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 794 | 3 |
| California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton | Public | 726 | 2 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 697 | 4 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 642 | 5 |
| University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Public | 639 | 2 |
| California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento | Public | 365 | 2 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 342 | 5 |
| California State University - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 337 | 4 |
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | Public | 336 | 2 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | Public | 318 | 3 |
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 271 | 2 |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara | Public | 266 | 3 |
| Chapman University | Orange | Private not-for-profit | 262 | 6 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | Public | 257 | 4 |
What communications teachers, postsecondary earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,580. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Communications Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 23 majors mapped to Communications Teachers, Postsecondary22 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0100Communication, General
- 09.0101Speech Communication and Rhetoric
- 09.0102Mass Communication/Media Studies
- 09.0401Journalism
- 09.0402Broadcast Journalism
- 09.0405Business and Economic Journalism(no graduates reported)
- 09.0406Cultural Journalism
- 09.0407Science/Health/Environmental Journalism
- 09.0499Journalism, Other
- 09.0701Radio and Television
- 09.0702Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
- 09.0900Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
- 09.0902Public Relations/Image Management
- 09.0903Advertising
- 09.0904Political Communication
- 09.0905Health Communication
- 09.0906Sports Communication
- 09.0907International and Intercultural Communication
- 09.0908Technical and Scientific Communication
- 09.9999Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
- 50.0607Documentary Production
- 52.0501Business/Corporate Communications, General
- 52.0599Business/Corporate Communications, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing communications teachers, postsecondary programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Speech Communication and Rhetoric, which awarded 8,056 degrees in California in 2024-25, 50.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 17 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Radio, Journalism, Public Relations, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 16,083 people a year in California.
How much do communications teachers, postsecondary earn in California?+
The median is $135,000 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 71.8% above the U.S. median of $78,580. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for communications teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 2,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
179 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 17 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do communications teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, Communication Professor, Communication Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1122.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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