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 in Silicon Valley and CalTech in Pasadena. 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 23 campuses of the CSU system comprise the largest public four-year university system in the US and enroll 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

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
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C
Los Angeles, CA
 

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

 

  • 777enrollment
  • $27,637net price
  • 80%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.26Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 30

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San Diego Christian College
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S
El Cajon, CA
 

San Diego Christian College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 355enrollment
  • $33,393net price
  • 100%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

 

  • 9,975enrollment
  • $5,493net 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

 

  • 16,134enrollment
  • $8,569net 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

 

  • 8,077enrollment
  • $11,886net 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

 

  • 390enrollment
  • $29,887net price
  • 65%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

 

  • 2,349enrollment
  • $9,276net 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

 

  • 291enrollment
  • $32,432net 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

 

  • 4,082enrollment
  • $4,877net 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

 

  • 5,832enrollment
  • $8,475net 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

 

  • 13,294enrollment
  • $6,249net 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

 

  • 5,113enrollment
  • $15,676net 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

 

  • 9,908enrollment
  • $14,507net 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

 

  • 8,043enrollment
  • $7,379net 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

 

  • 13,523enrollment
  • $7,421net 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

 

  • 16,335enrollment
  • $8,267net 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
  • $19,967net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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