Most Selective California Colleges
California has 32 four-year colleges that accept 50% or fewer of applicants, ranked from most to least selective.
California Institute of Technology is the hardest to get into in California, accepting just 3% of 13,856 applicants. Also highly selective: Minerva University, Stanford University and Pomona College.
Selectivity does not always equal academic difficulty. Some schools admit a small share of applicants because demand exceeds capacity, not because admission standards are extreme. If you need safety schools, see our highest acceptance rate colleges in California. For academically demanding options, explore colleges with the highest SAT, highest ACT, and highest GPA averages.
California Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- 3% acceptance rate
- Jan 3 application deadline
Caltech is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate physics, engineering, and chemistry. Most undergrads live on the compact residential campus in Pasadena.
- SAT Range 1530-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.97
- Net Price $14,513
Minerva University
- Private 4 Year
- San Francisco, California
-
| 0 reviews
- 3% acceptance rate
Minerva is a highly selective private university known for an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum taught through small, seminar-style classes. Students live in successive residence halls across a rotation of global cities rather than on one traditional campus.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $13,324
Stanford University
- Private 4 Year
- Stanford, CA
-
4.8 | 6 reviews
- 4% acceptance rate
- Jan 2 application deadline
Stanford is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The suburban campus sits in the heart of Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Avg GPA 3.96
- Net Price $25,078
Pomona College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 7% acceptance rate
- Jan 8 application deadline
Pomona is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, biology, and politics. Students live on a residential campus and can cross-enroll across the adjoining Claremont Colleges.
- SAT Range 1490-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
- Net Price $19,938
University of California Los Angeles
- Public 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 9% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UCLA is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate film, television, and theater. The urban Westwood campus also has a nationally known basketball program.
- SAT Range 1300-1530
- Avg GPA 3.92
- Net Price $14,512
Claremont McKenna College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 10% acceptance rate
- Jan 5 application deadline
Claremont McKenna is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, government, and international relations. Students live on a residential campus that shares classes and facilities with the neighboring Claremont Colleges.
- SAT Range 1470-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
- Net Price $33,895
University of Southern California
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- 10% acceptance rate
USC is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate film, communications, and business. The urban Los Angeles campus has a large Greek presence and longstanding ties to the entertainment industry.
- SAT Range 1450-1550
- Avg GPA 3.83
- Net Price $43,412
University of California Berkeley
- Public 4 Year
- Berkeley, CA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- 11% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Berkeley is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and chemistry. The hillside campus overlooks San Francisco Bay in the East Bay city of Berkeley.
- SAT Range 1310-1530
- Avg GPA 3.87
- Net Price $16,538
Harvey Mudd College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 13% acceptance rate
- Jan 5 application deadline
Harvey Mudd is a highly selective private college known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and mathematics. It is one of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of adjoining campuses where students can cross-enroll.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.96
- Net Price $43,966
Northeastern University Oakland
- Private 4 Year
- Oakland, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 17% acceptance rate
Northeastern Oakland is a private university campus, formerly Mills College, known for undergraduate liberal arts. The historic campus sits in a residential area of Oakland.
- SAT Range 1420-1520
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Net Price $27,473
Pitzer College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 25% acceptance rate
- 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
- Net Price $34,979
University of California San Diego
- Public 4 Year
- La Jolla, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 27% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC San Diego is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate biological sciences, engineering, and oceanography. The coastal La Jolla campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
- SAT Range 1270-1480
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.82
- Net Price $14,047
University of California Irvine
- Public 4 Year
- Irvine, CA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- 29% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC Irvine is a large public university known for undergraduate computer science, biological sciences, and engineering. The suburban campus centers on Aldrich Park in the planned city of Irvine.
- SAT Range 1230-1430
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Net Price $15,889
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
- Public 4 Year
- San Luis Obispo, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal Poly is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. Students study on a Central Coast campus in the college town of San Luis Obispo.
- SAT Range 1220-1410
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Net Price $17,453
San Diego Christian College
- Private 4 Year
- Santee, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
San Diego Christian is a small private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies and aviation. The suburban campus sits in Santee east of San Diego.
- SAT Range 900-1098
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Net Price $21,199
California Institute of the Arts
- Private 4 Year
- Valencia, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 32% acceptance rate
- Jan 5 application deadline
CalArts is a highly selective private arts college known for undergraduate animation, film, and the performing arts. The suburban campus is in Valencia, north of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $56,239
University of California Santa Barbara
- Public 4 Year
- Santa Barbara, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- 33% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UCSB is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate physics, marine science, and environmental studies. The oceanfront campus sits directly on the Pacific coast near Santa Barbara.
- SAT Range 1230-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.82
- Net Price $17,658
Hope International University
- Private 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 33% acceptance rate
- Aug 20 application deadline
Hope International is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and education. The suburban campus sits in Fullerton in Orange County.
- SAT Range 840-1220
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Net Price $29,896