45 Best colleges for Microbiology in California, US

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Microbiology. A graph of 3.47M citations received by 63.4K academic papers made by 45 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Stanford University

Stanford

For Microbiology

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $17,998

2. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Microbiology

#10 in the United States

#10 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,126
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1864

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#11 in the United States

#13 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $22,441
Enrollment: 46,678

4. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Microbiology

#15 in the United States

#17 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $21,258
Enrollment: 39,707

5. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Microbiology

#18 in the United States

#20 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $24,176
Enrollment: 42,376

6. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Microbiology

#24 in the United States

#26 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $25,951
Enrollment: 45,699

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#56 in the United States

#64 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1495
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $41,496

8. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Microbiology

#65 in the United States

#75 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $21,533
Enrollment: 36,582

9. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Microbiology

#96 in the United States

#108 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $21,566
Enrollment: 26,426

10. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Microbiology

#125 in the United States

#140 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $23,397
Receiving Aid: 68%
Average Aid: $60,201

11. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Microbiology

#140 in the United States

#156 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $21,732
Enrollment: 26,068

12. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Microbiology

#148 in the United States

#165 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $21,564
Enrollment: 19,764

13. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Microbiology

#166 in the United States

#184 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $5,459
Enrollment: 39,241

14. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Microbiology

#171 in the United States

#190 in North America

Enrollment: 4,202
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1905

15. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Microbiology

#203 in the United States

#226 in North America

Enrollment: 48
Male:Female: 37:63

16. West Los Angeles College

Culver

For Microbiology

#209 in the United States

#232 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $6,817
Enrollment: 9,299

17. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Microbiology

#217 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,625
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1977

18. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Microbiology

#225 in the United States

#249 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $10,445
Enrollment: 41,962

19. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Microbiology

#230 in the United States

#255 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $24,868
Enrollment: 9,147

20. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Microbiology

#237 in the United States

#263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $12,707
Enrollment: 22,485

21. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Microbiology

#252 in the United States

#279 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $30,975

22. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Microbiology

#254 in the United States

#281 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Receiving Aid: 73%
Average Aid: $10,046
Enrollment: 6,156

23. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Microbiology

#256 in the United States

#283 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $11,498
Enrollment: 23,908

24. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Microbiology

#278 in the United States

#311 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $10,441
Enrollment: 26,848

25. Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#280 in the United States

#313 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Net Price: $27,789
Receiving Aid: 43%
Average Aid: $6,184

26. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Microbiology

#297 in the United States

#331 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Receiving Aid: 67%
Average Aid: $11,311
Enrollment: 36,062

27. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Microbiology

#299 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $11,412
Enrollment: 23,986

28. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Microbiology

#300 in the United States

#334 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,223
Male:Female: 15:85
Founded: 1975

29. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Microbiology

#304 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $10,512
Enrollment: 40,278

30. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#311 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $12,478
Enrollment: 25,080

31. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Microbiology

#322 in the United States

#357 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $44,104

32. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Microbiology

#329 in the United States

#364 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $10,421
Enrollment: 18,925

33. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Microbiology

#398 in the United States

#440 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $11,503
Enrollment: 31,172

34. Chapman University

Orange

For Microbiology

#401 in the United States

#443 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $48,037

35. Touro University California

Vallejo

For Microbiology

#418 in the United States

#460 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Enrollment: 1,090
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1997

36. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#431 in the United States

#473 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $12,000
Enrollment: 37,760

37. University of the West

Rosemead

For Microbiology

#435 in the United States

#479 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $11,137
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $13,807

38. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Microbiology

#439 in the United States

#483 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $49,651

39. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Microbiology

#444 in the United States

#488 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Average SAT: 1430
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $47,113

40. Pomona College

Claremont

For Microbiology

#453 in the United States

#497 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $17,423

41. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Microbiology

#478 in the United States

#523 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Net Price: $37,675
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $37,444

42. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Microbiology

#484 in the United States

#531 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 73%
Average Aid: $10,331
Enrollment: 14,523

43. California State University - Monterey Bay

Seaside

For Microbiology

#491 in the United States

#538 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $10,480
Enrollment: 6,742

44. California Baptist University

Riverside

For Microbiology

#508 in the United States

#556 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $28,596
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,828

45. Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita

For Microbiology

#516 in the United States

#564 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Net Price: $33,463
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $15,528

Closest to California states to learn Microbiology

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	7	73
Utah	4	57
Arizona	5	38
Idaho	3	122
Washington	6	2
Colorado	8	37
New Mexico	4	98
Nebraska	5	77
South Dakota	4	162
Kansas	4	64
Texas	37	20
Oklahoma	7	84
North Dakota	3	150
Iowa	4	13
Missouri	10	8
Arkansas	7	109
Louisiana	10	75
Wisconsin	9	6
Illinois	19	27
Mississippi	5	118
Indiana	11	58
Michigan	14	5
Tennessee	17	50
Alabama	12	28
Kentucky	5	62
Ohio	20	19
Georgia	15	23
West Virginia	4	127
South Carolina	4	94
North Carolina	13	22
Virginia	14	53
Pennsylvania	29	12
Florida	22	16
District of Columbia	5	85
Maryland	10	4
New York	51	3
New Jersey	11	31
Vermont	3	123
Connecticut	7	17
Massachusetts	23	1
New Hampshire	3	81
Rhode Island	4	76
Maine	3	189
Puerto Rico	4	275

Closest to California states to learn Microbiology

Biology subfields in California