California Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
Below is a ranking of the 148 public colleges in California with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. University of California Los Angeles leads the list with a population of 47,335 students.
Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.
| College | Enrollment |
|---|---|
|
Las Positas College
Livermore, California |
8,103 |
|
California State University Monterey Bay
Seaside, California |
7,713 |
|
West Valley College
Saratoga, California |
7,655 |
|
Oxnard College
Oxnard, California |
7,361 |
|
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey, California |
7,173 |
|
Merritt College
Oakland, California |
7,022 |
|
Mission College
Santa Clara, California |
6,909 |
|
Crafton Hills College
Yucaipa, California |
6,768 |
|
Madera Community College
Madera, California |
6,636 |
|
Canada College
Redwood City, California |
6,625 |
|
Contra Costa College
San Pablo, California |
6,538 |
|
Yuba College
Marysville, California |
6,320 |
|
Berkeley City College
Berkeley, California |
6,278 |
|
California State Polytechnic University Humboldt
Arcata, California |
6,237 |
|
College of Alameda
Alameda, California |
6,141 |
|
Gavilan College
Gilroy, California |
6,083 |
|
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California |
5,891 |
|
California State University Channel Islands
Camarillo, California |
5,592 |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.