Popular California Colleges Easy to Get Into
California has 82 four-year colleges that accept 75% or more of applicants. If your GPA and test scores meet their typical thresholds, these are strong safety options, ordered by student interest online.
Leading examples include San Jose State University in San Jose, California, accepting 85% of applicants. Also frequently researched: San Francisco State University, California State University Los Angeles and California State University Fullerton.
Use the filters below to narrow by GPA, SAT, or ACT and see your estimated admission chance. For the highest academic quality among easy-admission schools, see best-ranked colleges with high acceptance rates. For schools with the highest acceptance rates regardless of popularity, see highest acceptance rate colleges.
San Jose State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Jose, CA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 85% acceptance rate
- Dec 15 application deadline
San Jose State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and business. The urban campus sits in downtown San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.35
- Net Price $13,892
San Francisco State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Francisco, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 96% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
SF State is a large public university known for undergraduate ethnic studies, cinema, and creative writing. The urban campus borders Lake Merced in southwestern San Francisco.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Net Price $13,168
California State University Los Angeles
- Public 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 91% acceptance rate
- Jan 19 application deadline
Cal State LA is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in the hills east of downtown Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 870-1060
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Net Price $4,460
California State University Fullerton
- Public 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- 91% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State Fullerton is a large public university known for undergraduate business, communications, and education. The suburban campus sits in northern Orange County.
- SAT Range 1000-1180
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Net Price $7,064
California State University Sacramento
- Public 4 Year
- Sacramento, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 94% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Sacramento State is a large public university known for undergraduate government, criminal justice, and business. The urban campus sits along the American River in California's capital city.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Net Price $10,110
University of California Riverside
- Public 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 76% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC Riverside is a large public university known for undergraduate entomology, plant sciences, and business. The suburban campus lies in California's Inland Empire east of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 1080-1280
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Net Price $14,562
California State University East Bay
- Public 4 Year
- Hayward, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 97% acceptance rate
- Oct 1 application deadline
Cal State East Bay is a public university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. The hillside campus in Hayward overlooks the San Francisco Bay.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Net Price $9,850
California State University Chico
- Public 4 Year
- Chico, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 93% acceptance rate
- Dec 15 application deadline
Chico State is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and business. The campus sits in the college town of Chico in Northern California.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Net Price $14,630
California State University Fresno
- Public 4 Year
- Fresno, CA
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- 95% acceptance rate
- Dec 15 application deadline
Fresno State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, viticulture, and business. Students attend classes on a large campus in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 890-1100
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.12
- Net Price $7,834
Azusa Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Azusa, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 88% acceptance rate
- Jun 1 application deadline
Azusa Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry programs. The suburban campus sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 983-1238
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Net Price $26,143
Sonoma State University
- Public 4 Year
- Rohnert Park, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 93% acceptance rate
Sonoma State is a public university known for undergraduate wine business and environmental studies. The campus sits in Rohnert Park in Sonoma County wine country.
- SAT Range 950-1150
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Net Price $14,614
California State University Northridge
- Public 4 Year
- Northridge, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 93% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
CSUN is a large public university known for undergraduate film and television, business, and education. The suburban campus lies in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Net Price $7,536
University of California Merced
- Public 4 Year
- Merced, CA
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- 91% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC Merced is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, biology, and psychology. The newest University of California campus is located in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 960-1140
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Net Price $13,690
California State University San Marcos
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- 95% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State San Marcos is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban hillside campus is in North San Diego County.
- SAT Range 950-1130
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Net Price $10,241
California State Polytechnic University Humboldt
- Public 4 Year
- Arcata, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 98% acceptance rate
- Apr 30 application deadline
Cal Poly Humboldt is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate environmental science, forestry, and marine biology. The campus is set among coastal redwoods in far northern California.
- SAT Range 970-1190
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Net Price $14,090
California Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 85% acceptance rate
California Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The suburban Riverside campus lies in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range 960-1150
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Net Price $27,862
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
- Public 4 Year
- Pomona, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 75% acceptance rate
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal Poly Pomona is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. The hillside campus includes working farm facilities and an Arabian horse center.
- SAT Range 1010-1250
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Net Price $11,940
Point Loma Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- 84% acceptance rate
- Feb 15 application deadline
Point Loma Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, biology, and business. The campus sits on coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
- SAT Range 1175-1365
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Net Price $39,696