Best California Colleges

Ranked list of Colleges and Universities in California for 2024

With its desirable climate, dynamic cities, huge economy and reputation the global leader in technology, California is a highly desirable state for students to choose to attend college. The state is home to world-renowned research universities like Stanford and CalTech. The University of California (UC) system has ten campuses serving over a quarter of a million students. The UC system is home to the extremely competitive and rival colleges UCLA and UC Berkeley. The CSU system is the largest public four-year university system in the US and enrolls nearly a half million students per year. Also significant is the California Community Colleges system, the largest of its kind, which serves 2.1 million students through its 2-year programs at 116 colleges. Notable highly rated small liberal arts schools like Pomona, Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna also call the Golden State home.

There are 312 colleges and universities in California enrolling 2,399,742 students. Explore the list of top colleges in California below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in California offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

 California is home to nationally ranked institutions like Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College. The highest ranked college in California is Stanford University and the top rated public state college is University of California Los Angeles.

Local college options can be explored in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco or other cities.

California Public Private For-Profit 4 year 2 year

312 results

List of the Best California Colleges

MiraCosta College
M
Oceanside, CA

MiraCosta College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 10,860enrollment
  • $7,281net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Mission College
M
Santa Clara, CA

Mission College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 5,747enrollment
  • $8,395net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Modesto Junior College
M
Modesto, CA

Modesto Junior College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,224enrollment
  • $12,904net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jun 30

Compare Calculate my chances 
Monterey Peninsula College
M
Monterey, CA

Monterey Peninsula College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,514enrollment
  • $11,977net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 29

Compare Calculate my chances 
Moorpark College
M
Moorpark, CA
 

Moorpark College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 12,484enrollment
  • $3,978net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Mt. San Antonio College
M
Walnut, CA

Mt. San Antonio College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 26,256enrollment
  • $5,528net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
M
San Jacinto, CA
 

Mt. San Jacinto Community College District

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 15,153enrollment
  • $7,125net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Musicians Institute
M
Hollywood, CA
 

Musicians Institute

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 864enrollment
  • $36,976net price
  • 78%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Napa Valley College
N
Napa, CA
 

Napa Valley College

Public 2 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 4,041enrollment
  • $17,548net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
The National Hispanic University
N
San Jose, California
 

The National Hispanic University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 615enrollment
  • $17,171net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
National University
Connect Me
N
San Diego, CA
 

National University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 18,631enrollment
  • $30,527net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Newschool of Architecture and Design
N
San Diego, CA
 

Newschool of Architecture and Design

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 294enrollment
  • $50,126net price
  • 45%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
San Francisco Bay University
Connect Me
S
Fremont, California
 

San Francisco Bay University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 164enrollment
  • $12,510net price
  • 69%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.72Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 5

Compare Calculate my chances 
Notre Dame de Namur University
Connect Me
N
Belmont, CA

Notre Dame de Namur University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 201enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.1Estimated Avg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Ohlone Community College
O
Fremont, CA

Ohlone Community College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,358enrollment
  • $14,247net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Orange Coast College
O
Costa Mesa, CA
 

Orange Coast College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,614enrollment
  • $6,744net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Oxnard College
O
Oxnard, CA
 

Oxnard College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,339enrollment
  • $1,644net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Compare Calculate my chances 
Palo Alto University
Connect Me
P
Palo Alto, CA
 

Palo Alto University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,129enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 31

Compare Calculate my chances