El Centro, California has 10 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $46,250 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $98,030 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Journalism Schools to El Centro
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near El Centro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Centro city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from El Centro.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
36%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,909
Avg net price
$15,364/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 57
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$35,404
Avg net price
$31,266/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Key stats- Retention rate: 33%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,120
Avg net price
$5,814/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,998
Avg net price
$38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,504
Avg net price
$26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
29%
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$80,735
Avg net price
$14,251/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$70,070
Avg net price
$46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,552
Avg net price
$3,133/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California journalism page.
Journalism Wages Near El Centro
El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist | N/A | CA statewide | – |
| Editor | $98,030 | CA statewide | $102,973 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $93,100 | El Centro, CA | $97,794 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
El Centro at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 44,186 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,093 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 15.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other El Centro-Area Cities With Journalism Programs
- Calexico, CA – 8.0 mi away (40,232 pop)
- Brawley, CA – 13.3 mi away (26,231 pop)
- San Luis, AZ – 53.3 mi away (30,366 pop)
- Yuma, AZ – 60.1 mi away (137,936 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 71.1 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited journalism schools are near El Centro, CA?
Our directory has 10 accredited schools offering journalism programs near El Centro. The closest is Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Point Loma Nazarene University (98.5 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying journalism roles near El Centro?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near El Centro are: Editor ($98,030), Public Relations Specialist ($93,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Calexico instead of El Centro?
Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is El Centro an affordable place to study journalism?
El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Journalism Programs
Other Programs Available in El Centro
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for El Centro:
- Public Relations programs in El Centro, CA
- Communication Disorders programs in El Centro, CA
- Speech Pathology programs in El Centro, CA
- Technical Communication programs in El Centro, CA
- Professional Writing programs in El Centro, CA
- Strategic Communications programs in El Centro, CA
- Business Development programs in El Centro, CA
- Construction Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Economics programs in El Centro, CA
- Financial Technology programs in El Centro, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in El Centro, CA
- Health Information Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in El Centro, CA
- International Business programs in El Centro, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in El Centro, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in El Centro, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Operations Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Public Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Real Estate programs in El Centro, CA
- Recreation Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Retail Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Risk Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Statistics programs in El Centro, CA
- Taxation programs in El Centro, CA
- Corrections programs in El Centro, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in El Centro, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Criminology programs in El Centro, CA
- Cybercrime programs in El Centro, CA
- Emergency Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Fire Science programs in El Centro, CA
- Forensic Science programs in El Centro, CA
- Legal Services programs in El Centro, CA
- Legal Studies programs in El Centro, CA
- Paralegal programs in El Centro, CA
- Security Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in El Centro, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in El Centro, CA
- Innovation programs in El Centro, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in El Centro, CA
- Software Development programs in El Centro, CA
- User Experience programs in El Centro, CA
- Web Development programs in El Centro, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in El Centro, CA
- Machine Learning programs in El Centro, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Data Analytics programs in El Centro, CA
- Public Health programs in El Centro, CA
- Human Resources programs in El Centro, CA
- Project Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Special Education programs in El Centro, CA
- Homeland Security programs in El Centro, CA
- Marketing programs in El Centro, CA
- Finance programs in El Centro, CA
- Kinesiology programs in El Centro, CA
- Sports Management programs in El Centro, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in El Centro, CA
- Elementary Education programs in El Centro, CA
- Biology programs in El Centro, CA
- Communications programs in El Centro, CA
- Graphic Design programs in El Centro, CA
- Human Services programs in El Centro, CA
- MBA programs in El Centro, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in El Centro, CA
- Nursing programs in El Centro, CA
- Business Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Computer Science programs in El Centro, CA
- Psychology programs in El Centro, CA
- Education programs in El Centro, CA
- Engineering programs in El Centro, CA
- Technology programs in El Centro, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in El Centro, CA
- Healthcare programs in El Centro, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in El Centro, CA
- Accounting programs in El Centro, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Social Work programs in El Centro, CA
- Counseling programs in El Centro, CA
Data verified: August 11, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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