Best California Colleges

Ranked list of Colleges and Universities in California for 2025

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 311 colleges and universities in California enrolling 2,509,410 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

311 results

List of the Best California Colleges

Moreno Valley College
M
Moreno Valley, CA

Moreno Valley College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 10,023enrollment
  • $4,543net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Norco College
N
Norco, CA

Norco College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 10,787enrollment
  • $6,147net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Hands on Medical Massage School
H
Redlands, California
 

Hands on Medical Massage School

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 19enrollment
  • $20,201net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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John Paul the Great Catholic University
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J
San Diego, CA

John Paul the Great Catholic University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 298enrollment
  • $31,811net price
  • 79%acceptance rate
  • 1090-1260SAT range
  • 21-27ACT range
  • 3.56Avg GPA

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Azusa Pacific Online University
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A
Glendora, CA
 

Azusa Pacific Online University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,829enrollment
  • $19,075net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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San Joaquin Valley College Temecula
S
Temecula, California
 

San Joaquin Valley College Temecula

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 649enrollment
  • $26,208net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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The University of America
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A
Temecula, California
 

The University of America

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 0enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Grace Mission University
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G
Fullerton, CA
 

Grace Mission University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 232enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Minerva University
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M
San Francisco, California
 

Minerva University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 656enrollment
  • $16,556net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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California Jazz Conservatory
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C
Berkeley, CA
 

California Jazz Conservatory

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 20enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Claremont Lincoln University
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C
Claremont, California
 

Claremont Lincoln University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 178enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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University of Saint Katherine
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S
San Marcos, California
 

University of Saint Katherine

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 262enrollment
  • $32,299net price
  • 46%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.43Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 15

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University of the People
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T
Pasadena, California
 

University of the People

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 42,867enrollment
  • $1,639net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Clovis Community College
C
Fresno, California

Clovis Community College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 9,053enrollment
  • $11,223net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America
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P
Santa Fe Springs, California
 

Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 208enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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America Evangelical University
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A
Gardena, California
 

America Evangelical University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 207enrollment
  • $24,350net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego
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C
San Diego, California
 

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 141enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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California Arts University
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C
Fullerton, California
 

California Arts University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 0enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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