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
College of Marin
- Public 2 Year
- Kentfield, CA
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| 0 reviews
College of Marin is a public community college known for nursing, performing arts, and transfer preparation. The suburban Kentfield campus sits in Marin County north of San Francisco.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,662
Mendocino College
- Public 2 Year
- Ukiah, CA
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| 0 reviews
Mendocino College is a public community college with undergraduate programs in nursing, agriculture, and viticulture. The campus is in the rural city of Ukiah in Northern California wine country.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,798
Menlo College
- Private 4 Year
- Atherton, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Menlo College is a small private college known for undergraduate business and management. The residential campus sits in Atherton on the San Francisco Peninsula near Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $32,563
Merced College
- Public 2 Year
- Merced, CA
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| 0 reviews
A public community college known for associate programs in agriculture and nursing. The campus sits in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,854
Merritt College
- Public 2 Year
- Oakland, CA
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| 0 reviews
Merritt is a public community college known for nursing and landscape horticulture. The campus sits in the Oakland hills overlooking San Francisco Bay.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $15,581
Northeastern University Oakland
- Private 4 Year
- Oakland, CA
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| 0 reviews
Northeastern Oakland is a private university campus, formerly Mills College, known for undergraduate liberal arts. The historic campus sits in a residential area of Oakland.
- SAT Range 1420-1520
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 17%
- Net Price $27,473
MiraCosta College
- Public 2 Year
- Oceanside, CA
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| 0 reviews
MiraCosta is a public community college known for transfer programs and biomanufacturing. The main campus sits in coastal Oceanside in North San Diego County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,044
Mission College
- Public 2 Year
- Santa Clara, CA
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| 0 reviews
Mission College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and fire protection technology. The suburban campus is located in Santa Clara in Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,646
Modesto Junior College
- Public 2 Year
- Modesto, CA
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| 0 reviews
- Jun 30 application deadline
Modesto Junior College is a public community college known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and transfer-oriented academics. The campus sits in Modesto in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,605
Monterey Peninsula College
- Public 2 Year
- Monterey, CA
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 29 application deadline
Monterey Peninsula College is a public community college known for undergraduate marine science and hospitality programs. The campus sits near Monterey Bay on California's central coast.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,483
Moorpark College
- Public 2 Year
- Moorpark, CA
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| 0 reviews
Moorpark College is a public community college known for undergraduate exotic animal training and management and veterinary technology. The suburban campus includes a teaching zoo used in its animal programs.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $2,727
Mt San Antonio College
- Public 2 Year
- Walnut, CA
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| 0 reviews
Mt. SAC is a large community college known for undergraduate nursing, aviation, and agriculture programs. The suburban campus sits in Walnut in the San Gabriel Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,516
Mt San Jacinto Community College District
- Public 2 Year
- San Jacinto, CA
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| 0 reviews
Mt. San Jacinto is a public community college known for associate degrees, career technical programs, and university transfer. Campuses serve students across southwestern Riverside County, including San Jacinto and Menifee.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,449
Musicians Institute
- Private 4 Year
- Hollywood, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $49,657
Napa Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Napa, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
Napa Valley College is a public community college known for programs in viticulture and winery technology. The campus is set in California's Napa Valley wine region.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $19,587
National University
- Private 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
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| 0 reviews
National University is a private university known for accelerated undergraduate programs in business, education, and health sciences for working adults. Most students take online or hybrid classes through its San Diego base and regional centers.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $25,043
Newschool of Architecture and Design
- Private 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
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| 0 reviews
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $55,265
San Francisco Bay University
- Private 4 Year
- Fremont, California
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 5 application deadline
San Francisco Bay University is a private university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and business. The campus is located in Fremont in California's San Francisco Bay Area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.72
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $10,294