48 Best colleges for Data Science in California, US

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Data Science. A graph of 2.72M citations received by 41.5K academic papers made by 48 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 Data Science

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,078

2. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Data Science

#6 in the United States

#6 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $29,608
Enrollment: 45,882

3. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Data Science

#9 in the United States

#9 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Receiving Aid: 66%
Average Aid: $25,757
Enrollment: 44,256

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Data Science

#14 in the United States

#15 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $25,627
Enrollment: 47,335

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Data Science

#21 in the United States

#24 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $43,412

6. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Data Science

#33 in the United States

#38 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,007
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1864

7. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Data Science

#34 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $23,110
Enrollment: 37,297

8. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Data Science

#38 in the United States

#44 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $24,591
Enrollment: 40,065

9. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Data Science

#40 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $24,695
Enrollment: 26,133

10. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Data Science

#51 in the United States

#60 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $14,513
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $72,373

11. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Data Science

#99 in the United States

#116 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Receiving Aid: 64%
Average Aid: $22,774
Enrollment: 19,938

12. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Data Science

#102 in the United States

#119 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $24,355
Enrollment: 26,384

13. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Data Science

#135 in the United States

#157 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Receiving Aid: 69%
Average Aid: $12,353
Enrollment: 37,661

14. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Data Science

#149 in the United States

#173 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $12,053
Enrollment: 41,137

15. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Data Science

#170 in the United States

#197 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,441
Male:Female: 79:21
Founded: 1909

16. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Data Science

#180 in the United States

#207 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $11,234
Enrollment: 43,662

17. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Data Science

#186 in the United States

#213 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $27,292
Enrollment: 9,110

18. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

For Data Science

#199 in the United States

#227 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,771
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1925

19. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Data Science

#208 in the United States

#238 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $53,883

20. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Data Science

#232 in the United States

#265 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $14,338
Enrollment: 23,069

21. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Data Science

#250 in the United States

#285 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,065
Male:Female: 16:84
Founded: 1975

22. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Data Science

#271 in the United States

#306 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $12,996
Enrollment: 22,563

23. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Data Science

#275 in the United States

#310 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $45,443

24. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Data Science

#281 in the United States

#316 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,824
Enrollment: 23,163

25. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Data Science

#298 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $11,833
Enrollment: 27,636

26. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Data Science

#308 in the United States

#344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $11,795
Enrollment: 42,003

27. Chapman University

Orange

For Data Science

#309 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,902

28. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Data Science

#317 in the United States

#353 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $10,748
Enrollment: 6,237

29. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Data Science

#318 in the United States

#354 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,767
Enrollment: 31,943

30. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Data Science

#321 in the United States

#358 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $12,326
Enrollment: 24,427

31. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Data Science

#330 in the United States

#368 in North America

Enrollment: 52
Male:Female: 32:68

32. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Data Science

#331 in the United States

#369 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Net Price: $37,918
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $40,965

33. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Data Science

#334 in the United States

#372 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $59,926

34. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Data Science

#346 in the United States

#385 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $12,167
Enrollment: 18,492

35. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Data Science

#347 in the United States

#386 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,825
Enrollment: 38,313

36. Pomona College

Claremont

For Data Science

#349 in the United States

#388 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,938

37. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield

For Data Science

#351 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $12,966
Enrollment: 10,419

38. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Data Science

#358 in the United States

#400 in North America

Enrollment: 4,210
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1905

39. Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica

For Data Science

#386 in the United States

#430 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 230
Male:Female: 58:42
Founded: 1970

40. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Data Science

#413 in the United States

#461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $12,369
Enrollment: 12,326

41. Pepperdine University

Malibu

For Data Science

#414 in the United States

#462 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1370
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $66,585

42. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Data Science

#424 in the United States

#474 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1332
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $31,670

43. California State University - Channel Islands

Camarillo

For Data Science

#425 in the United States

#476 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $12,528
Enrollment: 5,592

44. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Data Science

#434 in the United States

#487 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $11,509
Enrollment: 15,257

45. University of Redlands

Redlands

For Data Science

#436 in the United States

#489 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1229
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $28,482

46. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

For Data Science

#451 in the United States

#504 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $43,966

47. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Data Science

#463 in the United States

#518 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,665
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1977

48. California State University - Monterey Bay

Seaside

For Data Science

#483 in the United States

#538 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $12,185
Enrollment: 7,713

Closest to California states to learn Data Science

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	7	65
Utah	4	43
Arizona	3	19
Idaho	3	132
Washington	7	7
Colorado	9	46
New Mexico	3	120
Nebraska	4	67
South Dakota	3	255
Kansas	5	79
Texas	36	25
Oklahoma	5	112
North Dakota	2	173
Minnesota	9	17
Iowa	5	49
Missouri	10	52
Arkansas	6	139
Louisiana	7	119
Wisconsin	6	8
Illinois	19	3
Mississippi	6	156
Indiana	12	28
Michigan	12	5
Tennessee	10	45
Alabama	6	105
Kentucky	6	74
Ohio	19	32
Georgia	9	16
South Carolina	8	82
North Carolina	16	26
Virginia	11	42
Pennsylvania	27	11
Florida	18	39
District of Columbia	6	81
Maryland	11	13
New York	47	10
New Jersey	13	29
Vermont	3	123
Connecticut	10	22
Massachusetts	25	2
New Hampshire	3	56
Rhode Island	4	113
Maine	3	188

Closest to California states to learn Data Science

Computer Science subfields in California