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

Sierra College
S
Rocklin, CA
 

Sierra College

Public 2 Year

3 reviews

 

  • 15,766enrollment
  • $6,270net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Simpson University
Connect Me
S
Redding, CA
 

Simpson University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 874enrollment
  • $25,251net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • 960-1185SAT range
  • 21-28ACT range
  • 3.4Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 1

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College of the Siskiyous
S
Weed, CA
 

College of the Siskiyous

Public 2 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 1,204enrollment
  • $8,347net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Skyline College
S
San Bruno, CA

Skyline College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,523enrollment
  • $5,161net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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San Bernardino Valley College
S
San Bernardino, CA
 

San Bernardino Valley College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 10,767enrollment
  • $9,493net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 29

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Solano Community College
S
Fairfield, CA
 

Solano Community College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,426enrollment
  • $7,614net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Southwestern College
S
Chula Vista, CA
 

Southwestern College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,530enrollment
  • $13,362net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Southern California Institute of Architecture
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S
Los Angeles, CA

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 507enrollment
  • $19,041net price
  • 60%acceptance rate
  • 1020-1230SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Taft College
T
Taft, CA
 

Taft College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 4,508enrollment
  • $7,991net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Thomas Aquinas College
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T
Santa Paula, CA

Thomas Aquinas College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 516enrollment
  • $24,217net price
  • 85%acceptance rate
  • 1220-1410SAT range
  • 27-32ACT range
  • 3.8Avg GPA

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Epic Bible College
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E
Sacramento, CA
 

Epic Bible College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 114enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 27

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Ventura College
V
Ventura, CA
 

Ventura College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 10,559enrollment
  • $3,111net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Victor Valley College
V
Victorville, CA

Victor Valley College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 12,648enrollment
  • $13,390net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Berkeley City College
B
Berkeley, CA

Berkeley City College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,122enrollment
  • $13,672net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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West Hills College Coalinga
W
Coalinga, CA
 

West Hills College Coalinga

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 3,061enrollment
  • $9,633net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jul 15

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West Los Angeles College
W
Culver City, CA

West Los Angeles College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,656enrollment
  • $11,800net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jun 1

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West Valley College
W
Saratoga, CA
 

West Valley College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,513enrollment
  • $5,468net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Woodbury University
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W
Burbank, CA
 

Woodbury University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 943enrollment
  • $32,182net price
  • 63%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.39Avg GPA

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