California Public Colleges Ranked by Smallest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 148 public colleges in California with the smallest enrollment of full and part time students. California Indian Nations College leads the list with a population of 154 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.

List of California Public Colleges Ranked by Smallest Enrollment
College	Enrollment
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, California	14,611
California State University Dominguez Hills Carson, California	15,182
California State University Chico Chico, California	15,257
Cosumnes River College Sacramento, California	15,744
Cypress College Cypress, California	15,924
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, California	15,999
California State University San Marcos San Marcos, California	16,237
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills, California	16,906
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, California	17,096
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, California	17,228
De Anza College Cupertino, California	17,425
Rio Hondo College Whittier, California	17,441
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto, California	17,627
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, California	17,854
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, California	18,075
Modesto Junior College Modesto, California	18,258
California State University San Bernardino San Bernardino, California	18,492
Sierra College Rocklin, California	19,125

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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.