California Colleges with high acceptance rates

Colleges with the Highest Acceptance Rate in California for 2025

These are the least selective public and private four-year colleges in California. These colleges historically accept more than seventy-five percent of students who apply for admission and are ranked by acceptance rate. These are good safety schools for your college list and you should have a good chance on getting in if your grades and test scores are above or within their typical admission thresholds. Just because a school is less selective doesn't mean it's a lesser school academically and easy to get into for all students. Unless a college has guaranteed admission or accepts 100% of applicants, you still need sufficient grades to be accepted.

Use the filters on this page to narrow down the list based on your high school GPA, SAT and ACT scores. Once you do, your estimated admission chance will be displayed for each school. Additionally, you can filter the list by state, region or distance from your home to narrow down the list of colleges that are easiest for you to get into.

See also, the best and popular California colleges with high acceptance rates. If you're looking for colleges that have easy admission requirements, explore rankings of California colleges with the lowest SAT scores, lowest ACT scores and lowest GPA's.
California High Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

84 results

Southern California Institute of Architecture
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S
Los Angeles, CA

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

83% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 457enrollment
  • $21,514net price
  • 1020-1230SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

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Point Loma Nazarene University
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P
San Diego, CA

Point Loma Nazarene University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

82% Acceptance Rate

#17 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 4,494enrollment
  • $36,370net price
  • 1140-1410SAT range
  • 22-30ACT range
  • 3.65Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 15

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University of Redlands
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R
Redlands, CA

University of Redlands

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

81% Acceptance Rate

#15 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 3,192enrollment
  • $28,054net price
  • 1078-1323SAT range
  • 25-30ACT range
  • 3.74Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 1

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San Jose State University
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S
San Jose, CA

San Jose State University

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

80% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Public Universities in California

  • 36,062enrollment
  • $13,833net price
  • 1010-1240SAT range
  • 19-26ACT range
  • 3.35Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Dec 15

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Westmont College
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W
Santa Barbara, CA
 

Westmont College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

80% Acceptance Rate

#12 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 1,310enrollment
  • $36,412net price
  • 1212-1418SAT range
  • 30-34ACT range
  • 3.59Avg GPA

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Azusa Pacific University
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A
Azusa, CA
 

Azusa Pacific University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

79% Acceptance Rate

#16 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 6,487enrollment
  • $26,117net price
  • 994-1314SAT range
  • 18-26ACT range
  • 3.74Avg GPA

Applications Due Jun 1

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Thomas Aquinas College
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T
Santa Paula, CA

Thomas Aquinas College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

79% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 539enrollment
  • $23,039net price
  • 1160-1330SAT range
  • 25-33ACT range
  • 3.8Avg 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

79% Acceptance Rate

 

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

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Laguna College of Art and Design
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L
Laguna Beach, CA
 

Laguna College of Art and Design

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

78% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 807enrollment
  • $44,285net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.69Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 15

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William Jessup University
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W
Rocklin, CA
 

William Jessup University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

77% Acceptance Rate

#25 Best Private Colleges in California

  • 1,484enrollment
  • $28,171net price
  • 1020-1230SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.33Avg GPA

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The Master's College and Seminary
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M
Santa Clarita, CA

The Master's College and Seminary

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

76% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 2,799enrollment
  • $33,463net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.8Avg GPA

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Art Center College of Design
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A
Pasadena, CA

Art Center College of Design

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

75% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 2,382enrollment
  • $53,306net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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