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

San Diego Christian College
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S
El Cajon, CA
 

San Diego Christian College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 102enrollment
  • $26,979net price
  • 63%acceptance rate
  • 900-1098SAT range
  • 18-24ACT range
  • 3.26Avg GPA

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Citrus College
C
Glendora, CA

Citrus College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 9,915enrollment
  • $5,411net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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City College of San Francisco
C
San Francisco, CA

City College of San Francisco

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 17,808enrollment
  • $12,130net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Coastline Community College
C
Fountain Valley, CA
 

Coastline Community College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,576enrollment
  • $11,785net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Cogswell College
C
Sunnyvale, CA
 

Cogswell College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 392enrollment
  • $30,602net price
  • 51%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.77Avg GPA

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Coleman University
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C
San Diego, CA
 

Coleman University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 259enrollment
  • $25,309net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Columbia College
C
Sonora, CA
 

Columbia College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 2,594enrollment
  • $14,119net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Columbia College Hollywood
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C
Tarzana, CA
 

Columbia College Hollywood

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 149enrollment
  • $35,614net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.2Avg GPA

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El Camino College Compton Center
E
Compton, CA

El Camino College Compton Center

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 4,765enrollment
  • $11,662net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Contra Costa College
C
San Pablo, CA
 

Contra Costa College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 5,997enrollment
  • $9,094net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Cosumnes River College
C
Sacramento, CA
 

Cosumnes River College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 14,980enrollment
  • $6,900net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Crafton Hills College
C
Yucaipa, CA
 

Crafton Hills College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 6,097enrollment
  • $13,513net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 27

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Cuesta College
C
San Luis Obispo, CA
 

Cuesta College

Public 2 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 10,437enrollment
  • $15,899net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 13

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Cuyamaca College
C
El Cajon, CA
 

Cuyamaca College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8,437enrollment
  • $7,289net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Cypress College
C
Cypress, CA

Cypress College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 13,992enrollment
  • $7,730net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 25

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De Anza College
D
Cupertino, CA

De Anza College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,990enrollment
  • $8,421net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
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D
Blue Lake, CA
 

Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 8enrollment
  • $36,768net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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College of the Desert
D
Palm Desert, CA

College of the Desert

Public 2 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 10,764enrollment
  • $14,391net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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