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.
Antelope Valley Community College District
- Public 2 Year
- Lancaster, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,124 tuition
Antelope Valley College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career programs, including nursing and aviation-related technical training. The campus is in Lancaster in California's Antelope Valley high desert.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,110
Golden West College
- Public 2 Year
- Huntington Beach, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,380 tuition
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
Cerritos College
- Public 2 Year
- Norwalk, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,364 tuition
Cerritos is a public community college known for nursing, automotive technology, and transfer preparation. The suburban campus sits in Norwalk in southeastern Los Angeles County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $4,325
Pitzer College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $65,192 tuition
- Jan 1 application deadline
Pitzer is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental analysis, media studies, and the social sciences. Students cross-enroll across the Claremont Colleges on a residential campus in Claremont.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.93
- Acceptance Rate 25%
- Net Price $34,979
Citrus College
- Public 2 Year
- Glendora, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,204 tuition
Citrus College is a public community college offering associate degrees and university-transfer programs. The suburban campus sits in Glendora at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,607
Bakersfield College
- Public 2 Year
- Bakersfield, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,430 tuition
Bakersfield College is a public community college offering undergraduate associate degrees with programs in nursing and industrial technology. The main campus is in Bakersfield in California's southern Central Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $16,637
Victor Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Victorville, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,425 tuition
Victor Valley College is a public community college offering two-year undergraduate programs in nursing and career technical fields. The campus is located in Victorville in California's High Desert.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $1,947
Glendale Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Glendale, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,191 tuition
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
MiraCosta College
- Public 2 Year
- Oceanside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,158 tuition
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
Art Center College of Design
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $54,170 tuition
Art Center is a private art and design college known for undergraduate industrial design, transportation design, and illustration. The hillside campus in Pasadena overlooks the Los Angeles basin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $53,271
San Diego City College
- Public 2 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,146 tuition
San Diego City College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and visual arts. The urban campus sits in downtown San Diego.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,040
East Los Angeles College
- Public 2 Year
- Monterey Park, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,238 tuition
ELAC is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and administration of justice programs. The campus is in Monterey Park east of downtown Los Angeles.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,700
San Diego Mesa College
- Public 2 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,146 tuition
A large public community college known for undergraduate transfer preparation, health sciences, and business programs. The urban campus is located in San Diego's Clairemont Mesa area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,316
Otis College of Art and Design
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- $56,488 tuition
Otis is a private art and design college known for undergraduate fashion design, graphic design, and digital media. The urban campus is in Los Angeles's Westchester neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1265-1395
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $54,295
Rio Hondo College
- Public 2 Year
- Whittier, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,388 tuition
- Aug 20 application deadline
Rio Hondo is a public community college known for administration of justice, fire technology, and police academy training. The hillside campus sits in Whittier in southeastern Los Angeles County.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $16,449
Norco College
- Public 2 Year
- Norco, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,428 tuition
Norco College is a public community college offering associate degrees and university-transfer coursework. The suburban campus sits in Norco, a Riverside County city known for its equestrian community.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,534
Las Positas College
- Public 2 Year
- Livermore, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- $1,168 tuition
- Aug 1 application deadline
Las Positas is a public community college known for undergraduate transfer pathways and career technical programs. The campus is in Livermore in California's East Bay Tri-Valley region.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,669
Moorpark College
- Public 2 Year
- Moorpark, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- $1,426 tuition
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