Best colleges in California
Canva
Best colleges in California
Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person will make for their education, impacting everything from future earnings and employment to potential student loan debt and social circles.
While every student wants to get the best education they possibly can, there are myriad considerations to take into account: location, size, diversity, areas of focus, study abroad opportunities—the list goes on. While best college lists are often topped with the same handful of expensive Ivy League schools, the U.S. is home to more than 4,000 degree-granting schools spread out across all 50 states and several territories, with amazing education offerings for students to consider.
Stacker compiled a list of the best four-year colleges in California using rankings from Niche. Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, acceptance rate, and graduation rate are factors considered in deciding these rankings. Location is also often a key factor in a school’s appeal, whether it be a beachside location, one full of New England foliage, or proximity to tech hubs and companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Online and unspecified location schools were excluded from the rankings. Keep reading to see the best schools in your state.
stock_photo_world // Shutterstock
#25. University of San Francisco
– Acceptance rate: 70%
– Net price: $42,801
– Enrollment: 5,572 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Diversity grade: A+
— Location grade: A+
— Value grade: A-
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
#24. Chapman University
– Acceptance rate: 58%
– Net price: $44,327
– Enrollment: 6,843 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Academics grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
— Campus grade: A
smolaw // Shutterstock
#23. San Diego State University
– Acceptance rate: 37%
– Net price: $13,192
– Enrollment: 28,084 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Diversity grade: A+
— Party grade: A+
— Student life grade: A+
Canva
#22. Point Loma Nazarene University
– Acceptance rate: 84%
– Net price: $34,644
– Enrollment: 2,543 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Location grade: A+
— Value grade: A
— Campus grade: A
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#21. California State University – Long Beach
– Acceptance rate: 42%
– Net price: $10,568
– Enrollment: 29,110 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Student life grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A
— Campus grade: A
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#20. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – San Luis Obispo
– Acceptance rate: 38%
– Net price: $20,491
– Enrollment: 19,925 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Value grade: A+
— Party grade: A
— Academics grade: A-
Canva
#19. University of San Diego
– Acceptance rate: 59%
– Net price: $37,547
– Enrollment: 5,294 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Campus grade: A+
— Location grade: A+
— Campus food grade: A+
Kostiantyn Voitenko // Shutterstock
#18. Loyola Marymount University
– Acceptance rate: 50%
– Net price: $48,758
– Enrollment: 6,383 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Diversity grade: A+
— Academics grade: A
— Campus grade: A
Canva
#17. Occidental College
– Acceptance rate: 41%
– Net price: $41,102
– Enrollment: 1,938 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Diversity grade: A+
— Academics grade: A
— Professors grade: A
Canva
#16. Pepperdine University
– Acceptance rate: 42%
– Net price: $46,550
– Enrollment: 3,132 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
— Safety grade: A
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#15. Santa Clara University
– Acceptance rate: 51%
– Net price: $48,284
– Enrollment: 5,478 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A
— Value grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
Chinnapong // Shutterstock
#14. Scripps College
– Acceptance rate: 35%
– Net price: $40,259
– Enrollment: 1,095 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A
— Value grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
Canva
#13. Pitzer College
– Acceptance rate: 17%
– Net price: $30,095
– Enrollment: 802 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Value grade: A
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
#12. University of California – Santa Barbara
– Acceptance rate: 37%
– Net price: $17,223
– Enrollment: 22,480 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Party grade: A+
— Student life grade: A+
— Academics grade: A
wk1003mike // Shutterstock
#11. University of California – Davis
– Acceptance rate: 46%
– Net price: $17,026
– Enrollment: 30,186 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Diversity grade: A+
— Professors grade: A+
— Academics grade: A
Canva
#10. University of California – San Diego
– Acceptance rate: 37%
– Net price: $15,222
– Enrollment: 30,939 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#9. University of California – Irvine
– Acceptance rate: 30%
– Net price: $13,106
– Enrollment: 28,990 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Value grade: A
mangpor2004 // Shutterstock
#8. University of California – Berkeley
– Acceptance rate: 17%
– Net price: $19,329
– Enrollment: 29,300 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#7. Claremont McKenna College
– Acceptance rate: 13%
– Net price: $22,004
– Enrollment: 1,240 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
Canva
#6. University of Southern California
– Acceptance rate: 16%
– Net price: $39,759
– Enrollment: 18,560 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Campus grade: A+
Canva
#5. University of California – Los Angeles
– Acceptance rate: 14%
– Net price: $16,474
– Enrollment: 31,068 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Campus grade: A+
Canva
#4. Pomona College
– Acceptance rate: 9%
– Net price: $30,392
– Enrollment: 1,756 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
Canva
#3. Harvey Mudd College
– Acceptance rate: 18%
– Net price: $37,192
– Enrollment: 821 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
Joyseulay // Shutterstock
#2. California Institute of Technology
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Net price: $26,591
– Enrollment: 901 (2:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Professors grade: A+
ESB Professional // Shutterstock
#1. Stanford University
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Net price: $20,023
– Enrollment: 5,752 (2:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
