California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate
Below is a ranking of the 100 private colleges in California with the highest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Bethesda University leads the list by accepting 100% of high school students that applied.
Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.
| College | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
|
The King's University
Southlake, California |
61% |
|
Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary
Los Angeles, California |
58% |
|
Latin American Bible Institute
La Puente, California |
55% |
|
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California |
55% |
|
University of San Diego
San Diego, California |
52% |
|
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California |
48% |
|
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California |
47% |
|
The Chicago School at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California |
46% |
|
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California |
45% |
|
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California |
44% |
|
Casa Loma College Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks, California |
43% |
|
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, California |
43% |
|
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
El Dorado Hills, California |
41% |
|
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
Los Angeles, California |
39% |
|
Scripps College
Claremont, California |
38% |
|
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, California |
34% |
|
Hope International University
Fullerton, California |
33% |
|
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California |
32% |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.