California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest In State Tution

Below is a college cost ranking of the 100 private colleges in California with the highest in state tution. What is the most expensive college in California? University of Southern California leads the list with a tuition and fee total of $74,290. Note these costs do not include room and board or living expenses.

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.

List of California Private Colleges Ranked by Highest In State Tution
College	Tuition In State
Concordia University Irvine Irvine, California	$44,460
California Baptist University Riverside, California	$43,378
Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, California	$42,600
Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, California	$41,872
Simpson University Redding, California	$41,318
The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, California	$40,040
Hope International University Fullerton, California	$39,350
La Sierra University Riverside, California	$38,700
William Jessup University Rocklin, California	$38,300
Pacific Union College Angwin, California	$38,196
Providence Christian College Pasadena, California	$37,888
Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, California	$37,500
Fresno Pacific University Fresno, California	$37,330
Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, California	$36,596
Pacific Oaks College Pasadena, California	$33,000
American Jewish University Los Angeles, California	$32,404
Golden Gate University San Francisco, California	$31,243
John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, California	$31,130

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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.