50 Best colleges for Media Studies in California, US

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Media Studies. A graph of 207K citations received by 19.2K academic papers made by 50 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Stanford University

Stanford

For Media Studies

#7 in the United States

#9 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,279

2. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Media Studies

#14 in the United States

#16 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $21,669
Enrollment: 45,307

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#17 in the United States

#19 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $21,766
Enrollment: 46,430

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#18 in the United States

#20 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $36,808

5. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Media Studies

#28 in the United States

#31 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $20,389
Enrollment: 26,420

6. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Media Studies

#35 in the United States

#38 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 24%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $20,782
Enrollment: 42,006

7. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Media Studies

#36 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $17,411
Enrollment: 35,937

8. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Media Studies

#59 in the United States

#66 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $20,548
Enrollment: 39,679

9. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Media Studies

#75 in the United States

#87 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $22,042
Enrollment: 26,809

10. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Media Studies

#82 in the United States

#94 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $21,202
Enrollment: 19,478

11. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Media Studies

#99 in the United States

#114 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,934
Enrollment: 37,402

12. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Media Studies

#116 in the United States

#132 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $9,210
Enrollment: 35,751

13. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Media Studies

#137 in the United States

#159 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $9,830
Enrollment: 25,282

14. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Media Studies

#141 in the United States

#163 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,478
Enrollment: 38,973

15. University of Redlands

Redlands

For Media Studies

#153 in the United States

#178 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1196
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $28,157

16. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Media Studies

#154 in the United States

#179 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $50,551

17. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Media Studies

#155 in the United States

#182 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,140
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1864

18. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Media Studies

#162 in the United States

#189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,194
Enrollment: 40,386

19. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#190 in the United States

#220 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $10,511
Enrollment: 37,579

20. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Media Studies

#201 in the United States

#231 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $20,755
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $59,192

21. John F. Kennedy University

Pleasant Hill

For Media Studies

#210 in the United States

#240 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Founded: 1964

22. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Media Studies

#221 in the United States

#251 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $42,953

23. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Media Studies

#224 in the United States

#254 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $9,590
Enrollment: 31,818

24. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#237 in the United States

#270 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $52,815

25. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Media Studies

#251 in the United States

#285 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 72%
Average Aid: $9,162
Enrollment: 14,183

26. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Media Studies

#283 in the United States

#318 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Net Price: $36,008
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $36,408

27. Pepperdine University

Malibu

For Media Studies

#288 in the United States

#323 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Average SAT: 1383
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,804

28. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Media Studies

#290 in the United States

#325 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,968
Enrollment: 23,999

29. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

For Media Studies

#292 in the United States

#327 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,903
Male:Female: 40:60
Founded: 1925

30. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park

For Media Studies

#296 in the United States

#332 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $7,287
Enrollment: 6,637

31. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#297 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $10,907
Enrollment: 26,460

32. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Media Studies

#303 in the United States

#339 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Receiving Aid: 77%
Average Aid: $9,040
Enrollment: 27,503

33. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Media Studies

#309 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $9,262
Enrollment: 6,025

34. Chapman University

Orange

For Media Studies

#328 in the United States

#365 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $45,033

35. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Media Studies

#342 in the United States

#380 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $44,853

36. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Media Studies

#344 in the United States

#382 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,871
Enrollment: 19,803

37. Pomona College

Claremont

For Media Studies

#347 in the United States

#385 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,962

38. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Media Studies

#398 in the United States

#438 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $25,868
Enrollment: 9,103

39. California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos

For Media Studies

#405 in the United States

#446 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $8,922
Enrollment: 15,109

40. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Media Studies

#417 in the United States

#459 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $10,065
Enrollment: 22,000

41. Pitzer College

Claremont

For Media Studies

#419 in the United States

#461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Net Price: $39,809
Receiving Aid: 39%
Average Aid: $39,594

42. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Media Studies

#433 in the United States

#476 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,670
Male:Female: 78:22
Founded: 1909

43. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

For Media Studies

#443 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,819
Enrollment: 16,426

44. Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga

For Media Studies

#448 in the United States

#491 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Net Price: $32,129
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $39,139

45. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Media Studies

#468 in the United States

#515 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $8,659
Enrollment: 13,673

46. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

For Media Studies

#474 in the United States

#521 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1495
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $28,701

47. Scripps College

Claremont

For Media Studies

#476 in the United States

#524 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $43,923

48. Whittier College

Whittier

For Media Studies

#480 in the United States

#529 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1240
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $28,368

49. Mills College

Oakland

For Media Studies

#493 in the United States

#542 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Net Price: $25,283
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,278

50. University of the West

Rosemead

For Media Studies

#532 in the United States

#584 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $19,028
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $8,190

Closest to California states to learn Media Studies

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	7	71
Utah	3	67
Arizona	3	19
Idaho	3	240
Washington	11	10
Colorado	9	54
Nebraska	4	140
South Dakota	3	378
Kansas	5	49
Texas	24	4
Oklahoma	3	63
North Dakota	2	209
Minnesota	13	27
Iowa	7	25
Missouri	10	3
Arkansas	5	91
Louisiana	5	65
Wisconsin	11	5
Illinois	25	8
Mississippi	3	123
Indiana	15	20
Michigan	15	2
Tennessee	8	74
Alabama	8	50
Kentucky	6	51
Ohio	17	11
Georgia	10	48
South Carolina	8	31
North Carolina	16	26
Virginia	15	61
Pennsylvania	30	12
Florida	14	44
District of Columbia	5	33
Maryland	13	22
New York	64	1
New Jersey	17	24
Vermont	4	133
Hawaii	3	77
Connecticut	11	23
Massachusetts	32	21
New Hampshire	4	88
Rhode Island	4	175
Maine	6	167