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

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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Oak Valley College
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O
Rialto, California
 

Oak Valley College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 45enrollment
  • $7,464net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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California Indian Nations College
C
Palm Desert, California
 

California Indian Nations College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 76enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pathways College
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P
Pasadena, California
 

Pathways College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 0enrollment
  • $29,165net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Agape College of Business and Science
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A
Fresno, California
 

Agape College of Business and Science

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 37enrollment
  • $17,191net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Madera Community College
M
Madera, California
 

Madera Community College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 5,522enrollment
  • $6,994net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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