Best Journalism Schools Near Lancaster, CA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, California has 44 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $1,166 to $44,458 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 170,013. Median household income is $76,083 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Editor at a median $100,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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:

  • 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 36.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Los Angeles Valley College

Valley Glen, CA 38.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,678
Avg net price $12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA 38.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,633
Avg net price $39,011/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 42.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 43.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
73.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 45.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 46.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 46.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California journalism page.

Journalism Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and JournalistN/ACA statewide–
Editor$100,050Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$88,072
Public Relations Specialist$79,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,299

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population170,013Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,083Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Lancaster, CA?

Our directory has 44 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Lancaster. The closest is College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA (30.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Los Angeles City College (42.4 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Lancaster are: Editor ($100,050), Public Relations Specialist ($79,860). 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 Palmdale instead of Lancaster?

Palmdale, CA is 7.9 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study journalism?

Lancaster’s median household income of $76,083 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 Lancaster

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lancaster:

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.

Back to Best Journalism Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)