46 Best colleges for Political Economy 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 Political Economy. A graph of 674K citations received by 18.4K academic papers made by 46 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. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Political Economy

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

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

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Political Economy

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

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

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#8 in the United States

#9 in North America

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

4. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Political Economy

#12 in the United States

#14 in North America

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

5. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Political Economy

#29 in the United States

#32 in North America

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

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#33 in the United States

#36 in North America

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

7. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Political Economy

#41 in the United States

#46 in North America

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

8. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Political Economy

#46 in the United States

#52 in North America

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

9. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Political Economy

#58 in the United States

#68 in North America

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

10. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Political Economy

#64 in the United States

#75 in North America

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

11. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Political Economy

#104 in the United States

#120 in North America

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

12. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Political Economy

#106 in the United States

#122 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,600
Male:Female: 79:21
Founded: 1909

13. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Political Economy

#110 in the United States

#126 in North America

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

14. John F. Kennedy University

Pleasant Hill

For Political Economy

#113 in the United States

#129 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Founded: 1964

15. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Political Economy

#134 in the United States

#157 in North America

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

16. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Political Economy

#144 in the United States

#168 in North America

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

17. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

For Political Economy

#171 in the United States

#197 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,763
Male:Female: 40:60
Founded: 1925

18. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#176 in the United States

#203 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Net Price: $54,471
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $21,575

19. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Political Economy

#178 in the United States

#205 in North America

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

20. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Political Economy

#183 in the United States

#210 in North America

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

21. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Political Economy

#184 in the United States

#212 in North America

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

22. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

For Political Economy

#192 in the United States

#220 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1505
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $29,978

23. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Political Economy

#193 in the United States

#221 in North America

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

24. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Political Economy

#194 in the United States

#222 in North America

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

25. Chapman University

Orange

For Political Economy

#202 in the United States

#230 in North America

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

26. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Political Economy

#208 in the United States

#236 in North America

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

27. Pomona College

Claremont

For Political Economy

#212 in the United States

#240 in North America

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

28. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#227 in the United States

#257 in North America

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

29. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Political Economy

#229 in the United States

#259 in North America

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

30. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Political Economy

#230 in the United States

#261 in North America

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

31. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#238 in the United States

#269 in North America

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

32. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Political Economy

#242 in the United States

#273 in North America

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

33. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Political Economy

#273 in the United States

#308 in North America

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

34. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Political Economy

#279 in the United States

#315 in North America

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

35. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Political Economy

#282 in the United States

#318 in North America

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

36. Pepperdine University

Malibu

For Political Economy

#290 in the United States

#326 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $52,216

37. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Political Economy

#306 in the United States

#342 in North America

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

38. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Political Economy

#345 in the United States

#383 in North America

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

39. University of Redlands

Redlands

For Political Economy

#354 in the United States

#393 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1201
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $28,054

40. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

For Political Economy

#357 in the United States

#397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $11,074
Enrollment: 15,181

41. Mills College

Oakland

For Political Economy

#371 in the United States

#412 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1455
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $25,283

42. California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos

For Political Economy

#382 in the United States

#424 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $10,247
Enrollment: 15,431

43. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Political Economy

#383 in the United States

#425 in North America

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

44. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Political Economy

#386 in the United States

#430 in North America

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

45. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Political Economy

#389 in the United States

#433 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $10,886
Enrollment: 13,333

46. University of the West

Rosemead

For Political Economy

#404 in the United States

#449 in North America

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

Closest to California states to learn Political Economy

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	5	90
Utah	3	61
Arizona	3	37
Washington	7	13
Colorado	9	45
Nebraska	3	121
Kansas	3	72
Texas	17	14
Oklahoma	3	105
Minnesota	7	42
Iowa	5	52
Missouri	7	26
Arkansas	3	73
Louisiana	4	82
Wisconsin	6	18
Illinois	19	6
Mississippi	3	148
Indiana	12	30
Michigan	8	9
Tennessee	7	48
Alabama	4	84
Kentucky	4	77
Ohio	16	19
Georgia	8	38
South Carolina	4	85
North Carolina	14	15
Virginia	13	25
Pennsylvania	22	24
Florida	12	50
District of Columbia	6	17
Maryland	11	23
New York	50	2
New Jersey	10	5
Connecticut	7	4
Massachusetts	24	11
New Hampshire	3	55
Rhode Island	4	81
Maine	5	166

Economics subfields in California

Actuarial Science35

Agricultural Economics14

Development Studies98

Econometrics and Mathematical Economics58

Environmental Economics19

Finance83

International Economics28

International Relations and Diplomacy27

International Trade35

Investment Banking and Stock trading37