The Department of Journalism and Public Relations is part of the College of Communication and Education at Chico State. The program is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Following are enrollment, graduation, diversity and retention rates (source: Chico State Fact Book).
J&PR Enrollment
Fall 2016-Spring 2025| Year | News | PR | Minors | Total |
|---|
| 2016-2017 | 79 | 181 | 38 | 298 |
| 2017-2018 | 79 | 169 | 35 | 283 |
| 2018-2019 | 78 | 170 | 35 | 283 |
| 2019-2020 | 66 | 118 | 37 | 221 |
| 2020-2021 | 61 | 78 | 40 | 179 |
| 2021-2022 | 59 | 71 | 30 | 160 |
| 2022-2023 | 72 | 112 | 42 | 110 |
| 2023-2024 | 74 | 106 | 50 | 169 |
| 2024-2025 | 35 | 55 | 20 | 161 |
| Average | 67 | 117.7 | 36.33 | 21 |
Graduation
4-year Graduation Rates for J&PR, College of Communication and Education, University| Cohort Year | J&PR Footnote 1 | CME Footnote 2 | Chico State Footnote 3 |
|---|
| 2012 | 59% | 36% | 28% |
| 2013 | 50% | 39% | 30% |
| 2014 | 44% | 38% | 29% |
| 2015 | 40% | 49% | 33% |
| 2016 | 62% | 44% | 33% |
| 2017 | 41% | 39% | 33% |
| 2018 | 67% | 52% | 36% |
| 2019 | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| 2020 | 14.3% | 40.5% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 53.3% | 51% | 35.1% |
| Average | 43.32% | 44.1% | 34.18% |
First-time freshman who declared Journalism as their major upon entering Chico State.
First-time freshman who declared a major within the College of Communication and Education.
All first-time freshman who started at Chico State.
Graduation
6-year Graduation Rates for J&PR, College of Communication and Education, University| Cohort Year | J&PR Footnote 4 | CME Footnote 5 | Chico State Footnote 6 |
|---|
| 2012 | 86% | 69% | 66% |
| 2013 | 83% | 73% | 68% |
| 2014 | 83% | 69% | 65% |
| 2015 | 63% | 72% | 65% |
| 2016 | 81% | 71% | 64% |
| 2017 | 59% | 70% | 63% |
| 2018 | 66.7% | 71.8% | 62.4% |
| 2019 | 64.7% | 62.6% | 60.1% |
| Average | 73.3% | 69.8% | 64.19% |
First-time freshman who declared Journalism as their major upon entering Chico State.
First-time freshman who declared a major within the College of Communication and Education.
All first-time freshman who started at Chico State.
J&PR Diversity
Comparison of J&PR diversity rates| Ethnicity | F 2011 | S 2025 |
|---|
| American Indian/Alaskan native/Pacific Islander | 3% | 0% |
| Asian | 2% | 2.5% |
| Black/African American | 4% | 5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 20% | 41.25% |
| Two or more races or ethnicities | 5% | 6.25% |
| Unknown | 5% | 2.5% |
| Non-Resident Alien | 2.8% | 1.25% |
| White | 60% | 50% |
Retention Rates for Major
First-year students continuing in J&PR| Entry Year | Frosh | 1 Year Rate | 2 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 30 | 77% | 63% |
| Fall 2016 | 26 | 89% | 85% |
| Fall 2017 | 32 | 81% | 66% |
| Fall 2018 | 24 | 83% | 75% |
| Fall 2019 | 16 | 81% | 75% |
| Fall 2020 | 7 | 71% | 57% |
| Fall 2021 | 12 | 80% | 73% |
| Fall 2022 | 13 | 85% | 69.2% |
| Fall 2023 | 17 | 70.6% | 52.9% |
| Fall 2024 | 10 | 90% | |
| Average | 18.7 | 80.76% | 68.46% |
Retention Rates for College
First-year students continuing in College of Communication and Education| Entry Year | Frosh | 1 Year Rate | 2 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 339 | 88% | 78% |
| Fall 2016 | 317 | 86% | 75% |
| Fall 2017 | 337 | 88% | 79% |
| Fall 2018 | 311 | 88% | 81% |
| Fall 2019 | 247 | 83% | 77% |
| Fall 2020 | 207 | 82% | 67% |
| Fall 2021 | 164 | 81% | 73% |
| Fall 2022 | 204 | 88% | 76.5% |
| Fall 2023 | 245 | 82.9% | 72.2% |
| Fall 2024 | 273 | 79.1% | |
| Average | 264.4 | 84.6% | 75.41% |
Retention Rates for Under-Represented Minority Groups
First-year URM students continuing in J&PR| Entry Year | Frosh | 1 Year Rate | 2 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 14 | 79% | 79% |
| Fall 2016 | 10 | 70% | 80% |
| Fall 2017 | 9 | 69% | 46% |
| Fall 2018 | 11 | 92% | 83% |
| Fall 2019 | 6 | 60% | 60% |
| Fall 2020 | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Fall 2021 | 8 | 80% | 80% |
| Fall 2022 | 5 | 60% | 40% |
| Fall 2023 | 11 | 72.7% | 45.5% |
| Fall 2024 | 9 | 88.9% | |
| Average | 8.5 | 72.16% | 62.61% |
Retention Rates for Non-URM
First-year, all but under-represented minority students continuing in J&PR| Entry Year | Frosh | 1 Year Rate | 2 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 16 | 75% | 50% |
| Fall 2016 | 16 | 100% | 94% |
| Fall 2017 | 20 | 90% | 80% |
| Fall 2018 | 11 | 73% | 64% |
| Fall 2019 | 8 | 100% | 88% |
| Fall 2020 | 3 | 100% | 66% |
| Fall 2021 | 5 | 80% | 60% |
| Fall 2022 | 8 | 100% | 87.5% |
| Fall 2023 | 6 | 66.7% | 66.7% |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 100% | |
| Average | 9.4 | 88.47% | 72.91% |
Transfer Retention Rates/Major
Upper-division transfer students continuing in J&PR| Entry Year | Transfers | 1 Year Rate | 2 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 15 | 93% | 80% |
| Fall 2016 | 13 | 92% | 23% |
| Fall 2017 | 10 | 100% | 50% |
| Fall 2018 | 8 | 100% | 25% |
| Fall 2019 | 9 | 100% | 44% |
| Fall 2020 | 9 | 100% | 67% |
| Fall 2021 | 6 | 67% | 67% |
| Fall 2022 | 2 | 100% | 100% |
| Fall 2023 | 6 | 83.3% | 50% |
| Fall 2024 | 8 | 75% | |
| Average | 8.6 | 91.03% | 56.22% |
Transfer Grad Rates/Major
Upper-division transfer students graduating with degree from J&PR| Entry Year | Transfers | 2 Year Rate | 3 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 15 | 0% | 40% |
| Fall 2016 | 13 | 61.5% | 84.6% |
| Fall 2017 | 10 | 30% | 70% |
| Fall 2018 | 8 | 75% | 100% |
| Fall 2019 | 9 | 55.6% | 100% |
| Fall 2020 | 9 | 33.3% | 66.7% |
| Fall 2021 | 6 | 0% | 50% |
| Fall 2022 | 2 | 50% | 100% |
| Fall 2023 | 6 | 16.7% | |
| Average | 8.67 | 35.79% | 76.41% |
Transfer Grad Rates/College
Upper-division transfer students graduating within College of Communication and Education| Entry Year | Transfers | 2 Year Rate | 3 Year Rate |
|---|
| Fall 2015 | 295 | 36% | 77% |
| Fall 2016 | 244 | 44% | 78% |
| Fall 2017 | 282 | 46% | 76% |
| Fall 2018 | 263 | 48% | 74% |
| Fall 2019 | 303 | 52% | 75% |
| Fall 2020 | 298 | 45% | 70% |
| Fall 2021 | 249 | 50% | 74.7% |
| Fall 2022 | 247 | 52.2% | 78.5% |
| Fall 2023 | 348 | 47.1% | |
| Average | 281 | 46.7% | 75.4% |
Updates: December 29, 2025