List of 100 best universities in California, US

Top 100 universities in California ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 117M citations received by 1.93M academic publications made by 249 universities from California, the popularity of 12,671 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. Stanford University

Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$14,402

2. University of California - Berkeley

Acceptance Rate
14%
Receiving Aid
61%
Average Aid
$21,406
Enrollment
45,036

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Acceptance Rate
11%
Receiving Aid
56%
Average Aid
$17,592
Enrollment
46,116

4. University of California-San Diego

Acceptance Rate
34%
Receiving Aid
54%
Average Aid
$18,083
Enrollment
41,885

5. University of Southern California

Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1475
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$26,021

6. University of California - Davis

Acceptance Rate
49%
Receiving Aid
65%
Average Aid
$17,628
Enrollment
40,050

7. University of California - San Francisco

Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
3,165
Male:Female
35:65
Founded
1864

8. California Institute of Technology

Acceptance Rate
4%
Net Price
$30,162
Receiving Aid
67%
Average Aid
$47,556

9. University of California - Irvine

Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
79%
Average Aid
$16,868
Enrollment
36,505

10. University of California - Santa Barbara

Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
58%
Average Aid
$18,107
Enrollment
26,124

11. University of California - Santa Cruz

Acceptance Rate
59%
Receiving Aid
63%
Average Aid
$19,199
Enrollment
19,841

12. University of California - Riverside

Acceptance Rate
65%
Receiving Aid
82%
Average Aid
$18,676
Enrollment
26,847

13. San Diego State University

Acceptance Rate
38%
Receiving Aid
58%
Average Aid
$9,026
Enrollment
36,484

14. San Francisco State University

Acceptance Rate
93%
Receiving Aid
77%
Average Aid
$9,586
Enrollment
26,899

15. San Jose State University

Acceptance Rate
84%
Receiving Aid
69%
Average Aid
$9,184
Enrollment
37,133

16. California State University - Long Beach

Acceptance Rate
47%
Receiving Aid
80%
Average Aid
$9,433
Enrollment
40,190

17. Santa Clara University

Acceptance Rate
54%
Average SAT
1410
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$48,469

18. California State University - Northridge

Acceptance Rate
88%
Receiving Aid
85%
Average Aid
$10,882
Enrollment
40,108

19. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Acceptance Rate
33%
Receiving Aid
65%
Average Aid
$5,988
Enrollment
22,231

20. California State University - Fullerton

Acceptance Rate
59%
Receiving Aid
79%
Average Aid
$9,215
Enrollment
40,738

21. Humboldt State University

Acceptance Rate
91%
Receiving Aid
81%
Average Aid
$9,716
Enrollment
5,908

22. Loma Linda University

Enrollment
4,390
Male:Female
33:67
Founded
1905

23. University of San Francisco

Acceptance Rate
71%
Average SAT
1290
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$39,825

24. Naval Postgraduate School

Acceptance Rate
23%
Enrollment
2,787
Male:Female
79:21
Founded
1909

25. Pepperdine University

Acceptance Rate
53%
Average SAT
1350
Average ACT
28
Net Price
$40,945

26. Loyola Marymount University

Acceptance Rate
46%
Average SAT
1335
Average ACT
30
Net Price
$40,180

27. Chapman University

Acceptance Rate
60%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$40,451

28. University of San Diego

Acceptance Rate
53%
Net Price
$34,155
Receiving Aid
84%
Average Aid
$34,413

29. California State University - Los Angeles

Acceptance Rate
91%
Receiving Aid
92%
Average Aid
$10,909
Enrollment
27,513

30. California State University - Fresno

Acceptance Rate
97%
Receiving Aid
85%
Average Aid
$10,314
Enrollment
25,047

31. Pomona College

Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$17,000

32. California State University - Sacramento

Acceptance Rate
94%
Receiving Aid
83%
Average Aid
$9,769
Enrollment
32,498

33. University of the Pacific

Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1250
Average ACT
28
Net Price
$21,311

34. Claremont Graduate University

Acceptance Rate
35%
Enrollment
1,953
Male:Female
40:60
Founded
1925

35. University of California - Merced

Acceptance Rate
87%
Receiving Aid
93%
Average Aid
$21,623
Enrollment
9,093

36. California State University - Chico

Acceptance Rate
85%
Receiving Aid
71%
Average Aid
$8,691
Enrollment
15,702

37. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Acceptance Rate
61%
Receiving Aid
80%
Average Aid
$9,025
Enrollment
29,456

38. California State University - San Bernardino

Acceptance Rate
91%
Receiving Aid
89%
Average Aid
$10,157
Enrollment
19,514

39. Sonoma State University

Acceptance Rate
94%
Receiving Aid
73%
Average Aid
$8,547
Enrollment
7,371

40. Harvey Mudd College

Acceptance Rate
10%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$33,838

41. Occidental College

Acceptance Rate
38%
Average SAT
1415
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$43,047

42. California State University - San Marcos

Acceptance Rate
93%
Receiving Aid
77%
Average Aid
$9,298
Enrollment
16,255

43. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Acceptance Rate
90%
Receiving Aid
90%
Average Aid
$10,180
Enrollment
17,837

44. Claremont McKenna College

Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1475
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$21,663

45. Alliant International University - San Diego

Acceptance Rate
100%
Net Price
$25,481
Receiving Aid
33%
Average Aid
$9,411

46. California State University - East Bay

Acceptance Rate
82%
Receiving Aid
92%
Average Aid
$8,540
Enrollment
15,189

47. Azusa Pacific University

Acceptance Rate
94%
Average SAT
1116
Average ACT
22
Net Price
$27,112

48. Saint Mary's College of California

Acceptance Rate
70%
Net Price
$25,022
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$37,096

49. California State University - Monterey Bay

Acceptance Rate
93%
Receiving Aid
75%
Average Aid
$9,097
Enrollment
7,503

50. Mills College

Acceptance Rate
80%
Average SAT
1396
Average ACT
31
Net Price
$25,283

51. Biola University

Acceptance Rate
61%
Average SAT
1226
Average ACT
26
Net Price
$29,123

52. University of California - Hastings College of Law

Acceptance Rate
45%
Enrollment
1,140
Male:Female
38:62
Founded
1878

54. Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

Acceptance Rate
63%
Net Price
$26,470
Receiving Aid
93%
Average Aid
$10,193

55. University of Redlands

Acceptance Rate
83%
Average SAT
1195
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$21,578

56. California State University - Stanislaus

Acceptance Rate
95%
Receiving Aid
88%
Average Aid
$9,785
Enrollment
10,481

57. California State University - Bakersfield

Acceptance Rate
85%
Receiving Aid
90%
Average Aid
$10,725
Enrollment
10,972

58. Golden Gate University - San Francisco

Acceptance Rate
83%
Enrollment
2,425
Male:Female
55:45
Founded
1901

60. Pitzer College

Acceptance Rate
18%
Net Price
$19,153
Receiving Aid
48%
Average Aid
$39,399

61. Dominican University of California

Acceptance Rate
93%
Average SAT
1169
Average ACT
23
Net Price
$45,001

63. University of La Verne

Acceptance Rate
72%
Average SAT
1020
Average ACT
21
Net Price
$22,538

64. California Lutheran University

Acceptance Rate
82%
Average SAT
1190
Average ACT
26
Net Price
$24,065

65. Whittier College

Acceptance Rate
82%
Average SAT
1230
Average ACT
26
Net Price
$22,091

66. Scripps College

Acceptance Rate
30%
Average SAT
1450
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$44,770

67. California Institute of Integral Studies

Acceptance Rate
90%
Enrollment
1,833
Male:Female
21:79
Founded
1968

68. Soka University of America

Acceptance Rate
52%
Average SAT
1303
Average ACT
26
Net Price
$10,586

69. West Los Angeles College

Acceptance Rate
100%
Receiving Aid
59%
Average Aid
$6,319
Enrollment
9,481

70. Westmont College

Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$33,554

71. Antioch University

Acceptance Rate
85%
Enrollment
815
Male:Female
26:74

72. Point Loma Nazarene University

Acceptance Rate
84%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
26
Net Price
$34,851

73. Western University of Health Sciences

Acceptance Rate
8%
Enrollment
3,788
Male:Female
36:64
Founded
1977

74. California Institute of the Arts

Acceptance Rate
29%
Net Price
$53,916
Receiving Aid
99%
Average Aid
$18,119

75. Ashford University

Acceptance Rate
100%
Net Price
$23,585
Receiving Aid
95%
Average Aid
$4,803

76. Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles

Acceptance Rate
37%
Net Price
$33,638
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$2,389

77. California College of the Arts

Acceptance Rate
78%
Net Price
$40,231
Receiving Aid
84%
Average Aid
$28,928

78. La Sierra University

Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1010
Average ACT
23
Net Price
$25,230

79. California Baptist University

Acceptance Rate
64%
Net Price
$23,494
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$23,083

80. Saybrook University

Enrollment
915
Male:Female
18:82
Founded
1971

81. Santa Monica College

Acceptance Rate
100%
Receiving Aid
72%
Average Aid
$4,809
Enrollment
23,408

83. California Western School of Law

#1029 in North America
Acceptance Rate
60%
Enrollment
758
Male:Female
41:59
Founded
1924

84. Art Center College of Design

#1063 in North America
Acceptance Rate
76%
Net Price
$50,420
Receiving Aid
67%
Average Aid
$17,667

85. Keck Graduate Institute

#1082 in North America
Acceptance Rate
66%
Enrollment
573
Male:Female
35:65
Founded
1997

86. California State University - Channel Islands

#1112 in North America
Acceptance Rate
93%
Receiving Aid
82%
Average Aid
$9,261
Enrollment
6,966

87. Pacific Union College

#1126 in North America
Acceptance Rate
58%
Net Price
$22,767
Receiving Aid
99%
Average Aid
$22,072

88. California State University Maritime Academy

#1128 in North America
Acceptance Rate
82%
Receiving Aid
74%
Average Aid
$7,663
Enrollment
925

89. Trident University International

#1131 in North America
Acceptance Rate
49%
Net Price
$13,916
Receiving Aid
94%
Average Aid
$4,188

90. Woodbury University

#1141 in North America
Acceptance Rate
63%
Net Price
$32,293
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$23,275

91. Southwestern Law School

#1149 in North America
Acceptance Rate
47%
Enrollment
952
Male:Female
41:59
Founded
1911

92. MiraCosta College

#1172 in North America
Acceptance Rate
100%
Receiving Aid
76%
Average Aid
$4,697
Enrollment
11,125

93. Foothill College

#1179 in North America
Acceptance Rate
100%
Receiving Aid
66%
Average Aid
$3,927
Enrollment
12,438

94. Samuel Merritt University

#1181 in North America
Acceptance Rate
56%
Enrollment
2,048
Male:Female
24:76
Founded
1909

95. Palo Alto University

#1204 in North America
Acceptance Rate
12%
Enrollment
1,149
Male:Female
17:83
Founded
1975

96. Wright Institute

#1225 in North America
Enrollment
517
Male:Female
21:79
Founded
1969

97. Vanguard University of Southern California

#1239 in North America
Acceptance Rate
69%
Average SAT
1090
Average ACT
22
Net Price
$20,427

99. Fresno Pacific University

#1249 in North America
Acceptance Rate
78%
Average SAT
1105
Average ACT
21
Net Price
$15,350

Closest to California states

State
Universities
Unis
Best university country rank
Best uni United States Flag rank
Nevada 10 132
Oregon 31 68
Utah 20 44
Arizona 25 31
Idaho 10 160
Washington 57 7
Wyoming 1 141
Colorado 38 45
New Mexico 12 76
Montana 12 151
Nebraska 23 70
South Dakota 15 242
Kansas 32 65
Texas 119 21
Oklahoma 31 94
North Dakota 14 187
Minnesota 48 14
Iowa 39 49
Missouri 67 36
Arkansas 24 126
Louisiana 27 80
Wisconsin 47 13
Illinois 100 15
Mississippi 18 136
Indiana 55 33
Michigan 62 3
Tennessee 56 51
Alabama 33 87
Kentucky 38 61
Ohio 90 20
Georgia 63 48
West Virginia 26 109
South Carolina 37 88
North Carolina 65 18
Virginia 63 42
Alaska 6 178
Pennsylvania 155 11
Florida 109 27
District of Columbia 15 66
Maryland 34 12
New York 221 8
Delaware 5 91
New Jersey 47 16
Vermont 17 106
Hawaii 10 190
Connecticut 28 10
Massachusetts 88 1
New Hampshire 16 74
Rhode Island 12 52
Maine 19 158
Puerto Rico 52 407
US Virgin Islands 1 808
American Samoa 1 1666
Northern Mariana Islands 1 1633
Guam 2 590