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.
Loma Linda University
- Private 4 Year
- Loma Linda, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
Loma Linda is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The inland Southern California campus is built around a major academic medical center.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
National University
- Private 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $13,284 tuition
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
San Francisco Bay University
- Private 4 Year
- Fremont, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $8,830 tuition
- 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
Palo Alto University
- Private 4 Year
- Palo Alto, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
- Aug 31 application deadline
Palo Alto University is a private university known for undergraduate programs in psychology and behavioral sciences. The campus is located in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Pacific Oaks College
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $32,520 tuition
Pacific Oaks is a private college known for undergraduate early childhood education and human development. The campus is located in Pasadena in the Los Angeles metro area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 34%
- Net Price -
Samuel Merritt University
- Private 4 Year
- Oakland, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
Samuel Merritt is a private health sciences university known for undergraduate nursing. The urban campus in Oakland focuses on clinical training for health professions.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
San Bernardino Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- San Bernardino, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,196 tuition
- Aug 29 application deadline
San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college known for associate degrees and university-transfer preparation. Most students commute to the campus in California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $19,091
Antioch University Los Angeles
- Private 4 Year
- Culver City, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
Antioch University Los Angeles is a private university known for undergraduate liberal arts programs for adult and nontraditional students. Most undergrads commute to a nonresidential campus in Culver City.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Antioch University Santa Barbara
- Private 4 Year
- Santa Barbara, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
- Aug 15 application deadline
Antioch Santa Barbara is a private university known for undergraduate psychology and liberal studies. The small campus is located in central Santa Barbara.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
The Chicago School at Los Angeles
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $21,780 tuition
The Chicago School at Los Angeles is a private university known for undergraduate psychology and behavioral sciences. The urban Los Angeles campus centers on professional programs in those fields.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price -
Homestead Schools
- Private 4 Year
- Torrance, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
Homestead Schools is a private college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. Most students commute to its compact campus in Torrance in the Los Angeles area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $15,962
The University of America
- Private 4 Year
- Temecula, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Grace Mission University
- Private 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $3,370 tuition
Grace Mission University is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, theology, and missions. The suburban campus sits in Fullerton in Orange County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Minerva University
- Private 4 Year
- San Francisco, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $23,630 tuition
Minerva is a highly selective private university known for an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum taught through small, seminar-style classes. Students live in successive residence halls across a rotation of global cities rather than on one traditional campus.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 3%
- Net Price $13,324
California Jazz Conservatory
- Private 4 Year
- Berkeley, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $15,000 tuition
California Jazz Conservatory is a private music conservatory known for undergraduate jazz studies and performance. The urban campus is in downtown Berkeley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price -
Claremont Lincoln University
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $0 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
University of the People
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,400 tuition
University of the People is a private online university known for undergraduate business administration, computer science, and health science. Programs are tuition-free and delivered entirely online from its base in Pasadena.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $1,575
Clovis Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Fresno, California
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,378 tuition
Clovis Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and university transfer preparation. The campus is located in Clovis in the greater Fresno area of California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,482