Best California Colleges
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 278 colleges and universities in California enrolling 2,544,910 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 Berkeley.
Local college options can be explored in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco or other cities.
List of the Best California Colleges
FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
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| 0 reviews
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $39,494
Feather River Community College District
- Public 2 Year
- Quincy, CA
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Feather River is a small public community college known for undergraduate equine studies and outdoor recreation. The rural campus sits in the Sierra Nevada mountain town of Quincy.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,941
Foothill College
- Public 2 Year
- Los Altos Hills, CA
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Foothill is a public community college known for undergraduate dental hygiene and science transfer pathways. The hillside campus sits in Los Altos Hills overlooking Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,805
Fresno City College
- Public 2 Year
- Fresno, CA
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Fresno City College is a public community college known for associate-degree nursing and public safety programs. The urban campus serves commuting students in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,618
Fullerton College
- Public 2 Year
- Fullerton, CA
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| 0 reviews
Fullerton College is a public community college known for associate degrees and transfer pathways to UC and CSU campuses. The suburban Orange County campus is California's oldest continuously operating community college.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,306
Gavilan College
- Public 2 Year
- Gilroy, CA
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Gavilan is a public community college offering associate degrees in nursing and career technical fields. Most students attend the main campus in Gilroy in southern Santa Clara County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,753
Glendale Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Glendale, CA
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Glendale Community College is a public community college known for undergraduate transfer preparation and nursing. The suburban campus is in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,060
Golden Gate University
- Private 4 Year
- San Francisco, CA
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Golden Gate is a private university known for undergraduate business and accounting. The urban campus sits in downtown San Francisco's financial district.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Golden West College
- Public 2 Year
- Huntington Beach, CA
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Golden West is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and criminal justice. The suburban campus sits near the Pacific coast in Huntington Beach.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,681
Grossmont College
- Public 2 Year
- El Cajon, CA
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Grossmont is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The suburban campus sits in El Cajon in San Diego's East County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,351
Hartnell College
- Public 2 Year
- Salinas, CA
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Hartnell is a public community college known for undergraduate agriculture and nursing programs. The campus is located in California's agricultural Salinas Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,246
Harvey Mudd College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Harvey Mudd is a highly selective private college known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and mathematics. It is one of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of adjoining campuses where students can cross-enroll.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.96
- Acceptance Rate 13%
- Net Price $43,966
Humphreys University Stockton and Modesto Campuses
- Private 4 Year
- Stockton, CA
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| 0 reviews
Humphreys is a private university known for undergraduate court reporting, legal studies, and business. Students attend campuses in Stockton and Modesto in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,524
Imperial Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Imperial, CA
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| 0 reviews
Imperial Valley College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and agriculture programs. The campus sits in California's Imperial Valley, an agricultural region near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $1,890
Irvine Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Irvine, CA
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2.3 | 3 reviews
A public community college known for undergraduate business, science, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Most students commute to the suburban campus in Irvine.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,821
American Jewish University
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
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| 0 reviews
American Jewish University is a private Jewish university known for undergraduate Jewish studies and education. The hillside Bel Air campus sits in Los Angeles.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Reedley College
- Public 2 Year
- Reedley, CA
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| 0 reviews
Reedley College is a community college known for undergraduate agriculture and natural resources. The campus includes a working farm in California's San Joaquin Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,012
Life Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- San Dimas, CA
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| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Life Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry and biblical studies. The suburban campus is in San Dimas in the San Gabriel Valley.
- SAT Range 930-1085
- Avg GPA 2.91
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $21,602