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

Sage College
S
Moreno Valley, CA
 

Sage College

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 406enrollment
  • $9,158net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program
E
West Covina, CA
 

East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 139enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus
P
Sacramento, California
 

University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 3,642enrollment
  • $19,185net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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San Joaquin Valley College Fresno Aviation
S
Fresno, California
 

San Joaquin Valley College Fresno Aviation

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 229enrollment
  • $23,688net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Platt College Ontario
P
Ontario, CA
 

Platt College Ontario

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 442enrollment
  • $24,873net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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American University of Health Sciences
A
Signal Hill, CA
 

American University of Health Sciences

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 510enrollment
  • $25,913net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.5Avg GPA

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Santa Barbara Business College Ventura
S
Ventura, CA
 

Santa Barbara Business College Ventura

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 333enrollment
  • $39,416net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Professional Golfers Career College
P
Temecula, CA
 

Professional Golfers Career College

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 90enrollment
  • $28,639net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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King's University
Connect Me
K
Van Nuys, TX
 

King's University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 532enrollment
  • $22,507net price
  • 94%acceptance rate
  • 870-1130SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Jul 29

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San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus
Connect Me
S
Calexico, California

San Diego State University Imperial Valley Campus

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 808enrollment
  • -net price
  • 44%acceptance rate
  • 850-1060SAT range
  • 16-21ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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West Coast Ultrasound Institute
W
Beverly Hills, CA
 

West Coast Ultrasound Institute

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,640enrollment
  • $24,180net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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California State University Channel Islands
Connect Me
C
Camarillo, CA

California State University Channel Islands

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,128enrollment
  • $13,540net price
  • 90%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.22Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 30

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San Joaquin Valley College Rancho Cucamonga
S
Rancho Cucamonga, California
 

San Joaquin Valley College Rancho Cucamonga

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 969enrollment
  • $22,888net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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West Coast University Los Angeles
W
North Hollywood, CA
 

West Coast University Los Angeles

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 2,620enrollment
  • $45,923net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Folsom Lake College
F
Folsom, CA
 

Folsom Lake College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,796enrollment
  • $7,695net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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University of Phoenix Central Valley Campus
P
Fresno, California
 

University of Phoenix Central Valley Campus

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 2,404enrollment
  • $19,059net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Community Christian College
C
Redlands, CA
 

Community Christian College

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 485enrollment
  • $21,403net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Los Angeles College of Music
L
Pasadena, CA
 

Los Angeles College of Music

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

 

  • 239enrollment
  • $39,700net price
  • 83%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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