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.
Long Beach City College
- Public 2 Year
- Long Beach, CA
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- $1,556 tuition
- Aug 17 application deadline
Long Beach City College is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing, culinary arts, and aviation maintenance. Most students commute to its two Long Beach campuses and many transfer to nearby California State universities.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,565
Concordia University Irvine
- Private 4 Year
- Irvine, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $43,480 tuition
Concordia Irvine is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus sits in Irvine in Orange County.
- SAT Range 1030-1260
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $29,845
Notre Dame de Namur University
- Private 4 Year
- Belmont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $36,306 tuition
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
California Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Thousand Oaks, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $52,560 tuition
- Jan 1 application deadline
Cal Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and communication. The suburban campus in Thousand Oaks is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- SAT Range 1150-1330
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $32,774
American River College
- Public 2 Year
- Sacramento, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,288 tuition
American River College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and career technical programs. The suburban campus sits near the American River in the Sacramento area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,488
Chaffey College
- Public 2 Year
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA
-
2.3 | 3 reviews
- $1,184 tuition
Chaffey is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing, business, and career technical fields. The suburban campus is in Rancho Cucamonga in California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,809
California State University Monterey Bay
- Public 4 Year
- Seaside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $7,779 tuition
- Jan 15 application deadline
CSUMB is a public university known for undergraduate marine science and environmental studies. The campus sits on the former Fort Ord site overlooking Monterey Bay.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $14,493
Mount Saint Mary's University
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $49,564 tuition
Mount Saint Mary's is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The hillside Chalon campus overlooks Los Angeles from the Brentwood area.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $27,368
De Anza College
- Public 2 Year
- Cupertino, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,571 tuition
De Anza is a public community college known for undergraduate business, computer science, and nursing. The suburban campus sits in Cupertino in Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,693
Life Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- San Dimas, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $22,118 tuition
- 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
California State University Bakersfield
- Public 4 Year
- Bakersfield, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $8,090 tuition
- Dec 15 application deadline
CSUB is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus sits in Bakersfield in California's southern San Joaquin Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $6,489
Riverside City College
- Public 2 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,428 tuition
- Oct 20 application deadline
Riverside City College is a public community college known for nursing and transfer-focused academic programs. The urban campus lies in downtown Riverside in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,174
California State University Channel Islands
- Public 4 Year
- Camarillo, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $7,159 tuition
- Jul 30 application deadline
CSU Channel Islands is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and environmental science. The Camarillo campus occupies former state hospital grounds with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $10,632
California State University Stanislaus
- Public 4 Year
- Turlock, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $8,246 tuition
- Nov 30 application deadline
CSU Stanislaus is a public university in the California State University system known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in Turlock in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $7,433
Mt San Antonio College
- Public 2 Year
- Walnut, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,364 tuition
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
Saint Mary's College of California
- Private 4 Year
- Moraga, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $57,803 tuition
- Jan 15 application deadline
Saint Mary's is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate business and a Great Books liberal arts program. The residential campus lies in the hills of Moraga in the East Bay.
- SAT Range 1070-1253
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $35,332
California State University San Bernardino
- Public 4 Year
- San Bernardino, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $8,093 tuition
- Nov 30 application deadline
CSUSB is a public university known for undergraduate business, education, and criminal justice. The campus sits at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range 910-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $5,231
Menlo College
- Private 4 Year
- Atherton, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $53,630 tuition
- 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