Ranking
Best Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Colleges in California 2026
21 California colleges offering Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 21
- Cheapest net price
- $2,129
- Top earnings 10y
- $92,498
- Public / Private
- 8 / 13
Santiago Canyon College
A+- ROI score
- 52.79
- Net price
- $2,129
- Earnings 10y
- $44,956
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Santa Monica College
A+- ROI score
- 37.96
- Net price
- $2,779
- Earnings 10y
- $42,193
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
De Anza College
A+- ROI score
- 21.30
- Net price
- $6,642
- Earnings 10y
- $56,596
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Dominguez Hills
A+- ROI score
- 16.59
- Net price
- $8,615
- Earnings 10y
- $57,162
- Acceptance
- 93.3%
California State University-Long Beach
A- ROI score
- 15.42
- Net price
- $10,440
- Earnings 10y
- $64,403
- Acceptance
- 46.3%
San Jose State University
A- ROI score
- 14.35
- Net price
- $13,760
- Earnings 10y
- $78,988
- Acceptance
- 84.6%
San Diego State University
B- ROI score
- 10.56
- Net price
- $15,364
- Earnings 10y
- $64,909
- Acceptance
- 36.2%
University of California-Santa Cruz
B- ROI score
- 9.56
- Net price
- $17,890
- Earnings 10y
- $68,396
- Acceptance
- 65.8%
University of La Verne
B- ROI score
- 8.12
- Net price
- $20,161
- Earnings 10y
- $65,464
- Acceptance
- 71.2%
Azusa Pacific University
B- ROI score
- 7.50
- Net price
- $22,212
- Earnings 10y
- $66,677
- Acceptance
- 88.4%
National University
B- ROI score
- 7.38
- Net price
- $22,878
- Earnings 10y
- $67,548
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of Southern California
C- ROI score
- 7.06
- Net price
- $32,740
- Earnings 10y
- $92,498
- Acceptance
- 9.8%
California Baptist University
C- ROI score
- 5.85
- Net price
- $26,285
- Earnings 10y
- $61,504
- Acceptance
- 84.9%
California Lutheran University
C- ROI score
- 5.71
- Net price
- $30,109
- Earnings 10y
- $68,712
- Acceptance
- 75.7%
University of San Francisco
C- ROI score
- 5.42
- Net price
- $41,431
- Earnings 10y
- $89,812
- Acceptance
- 61.7%
Biola University
D- ROI score
- 4.51
- Net price
- $31,495
- Earnings 10y
- $56,778
- Acceptance
- 74.4%
Pacific Union College
D- ROI score
- 4.30
- Net price
- $41,008
- Earnings 10y
- $70,484
- Acceptance
- 47.3%
Point Loma Nazarene University
D- ROI score
- 4.13
- Net price
- $38,729
- Earnings 10y
- $63,998
- Acceptance
- 83.7%
Chapman University
D- ROI score
- 3.76
- Net price
- $46,555
- Earnings 10y
- $70,070
- Acceptance
- 65.4%
Pepperdine University
D- ROI score
- 3.57
- Net price
- $58,098
- Earnings 10y
- $82,939
- Acceptance
- 62.9%
La Sierra University
D- ROI score
- 3.39
- Net price
- $45,566
- Earnings 10y
- $61,824
- Acceptance
- 91.5%
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 11.87 (8 public, 13 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Santiago Canyon College in Orange, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
21 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.