College Costs in California
California Colleges, Cost and Affordability for 2027
How much does it cost to attend college in California? The average annual in-state college tuition in California was $15,539 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is $2,271 lower than the U.S. average and ranks California in the middle of the pack as the 29th most expensive state or district to attend college. This is a change of $1,916 from the 2022-2023 average of $13,623 and represents a 14.06% annual increase in tuition costs. The list of California colleges below provides school specific cost and value rating.
This analysis surveyed tuition data from the 278 colleges and universities in California, the most popular being University of California Los Angeles with 45,444 full time students and an in-state tuition list price of $15,203. University of Southern California is the most expensive in California with an in-state tuition of $72,097.
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.
College of the Sequoias
- Public 2 Year
- Visalia, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,394 tuition
College of the Sequoias is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in agriculture and nursing. The main campus is in Visalia in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $2,152
Barstow Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Barstow, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,104 tuition
Barstow Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees, transfer preparation, and career technical programs. The small campus sits in the Mojave Desert city of Barstow along the Interstate 15 corridor.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,048
Woodland Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Woodland, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,124 tuition
Woodland Community College is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in agriculture and early childhood education. The campus is located in Woodland in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,678
Los Angeles Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- San Dimas, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $12,360 tuition
Los Angeles Pacific is a private Christian university known for online undergraduate programs in business, psychology, and liberal studies. Most undergrads complete degrees fully online through its San Dimas-based programs.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $22,498
College of the Siskiyous
- Public 2 Year
- Weed, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- $1,444 tuition
College of the Siskiyous is a public community college known for fire technology and nursing programs. The rural campus sits near the base of Mount Shasta in far northern California.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,117
Lincoln University
- Private 4 Year
- Oakland, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $13,150 tuition
- Jul 13 application deadline
Lincoln is a private university known for undergraduate business administration. Its campus occupies an urban site near downtown Oakland.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.6
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Providence Christian College
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- $36,963 tuition
Providence Christian is a small private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate biblical and theological studies. Most students live in a residential campus community in Pasadena.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $27,422
Lake Tahoe Community College
- Public 2 Year
- South Lake Tahoe, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,131 tuition
Lake Tahoe Community College is a community college known for wilderness education and outdoor leadership. The campus sits in South Lake Tahoe near the California shore of Lake Tahoe.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,799
West Coast University Orange County
- Private 4 Year
- Anaheim, CA
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- $22,506 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $28,081
San Joaquin Valley College Temecula
- Private 2 Year
- Temecula, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $24,743
Southern California Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Anaheim, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $20,515 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $31,486
Lassen Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Susanville, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,144 tuition
Lassen is a public community college known for gunsmithing, fire technology, and natural resources. The rural campus sits in the mountains of northeastern California.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $12,406
Gavilan College
- Public 2 Year
- Gilroy, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,508 tuition
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
Lemoore College
- Public 2 Year
- Lemoore, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,384 tuition
- Jul 15 application deadline
Lemoore College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career certificates. The campus is in Lemoore in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,083
Feather River Community College District
- Public 2 Year
- Quincy, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,465 tuition
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
University of the West
- Private 4 Year
- Rosemead, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $15,446 tuition
- Jun 15 application deadline
University of the West is a small private university known for undergraduate Buddhist studies, religious studies, and business. The suburban Rosemead campus is Buddhist-affiliated and lies in the greater Los Angeles area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.43
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,713
California College of ASU
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- $25,186 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $28,425
Porterville College
- Public 2 Year
- Porterville, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,438 tuition
Porterville College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and agriculture programs. The campus serves a small Central Valley city surrounded by farmland.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,733