100+ Best Universities in California, US [2023 Rankings]

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

Stanford

#2 in the United States

#2 in North America

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

2. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

#5 in the United States

#5 in North America

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

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

#6 in the United States

#6 in North America

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

4. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

#25 in the United States

#26 in North America

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

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

#26 in the United States

#27 in North America

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

6. University of California - Davis

Davis

#28 in the United States

#30 in North America

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

7. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

#38 in the United States

#41 in North America

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

8. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

#41 in the United States

#44 in North America

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

9. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

#43 in the United States

#46 in North America

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

10. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

#55 in the United States

#59 in North America

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

11. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

#84 in the United States

#94 in North America

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

12. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

#93 in the United States

#106 in North America

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

13. San Diego State University

San Diego

#121 in the United States

#140 in North America

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

14. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

#175 in the United States

#200 in North America

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

15. San Jose State University

San Jose

#186 in the United States

#211 in North America

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

16. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

#198 in the United States

#224 in North America

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

17. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

#207 in the United States

#234 in North America

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

18. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

#211 in the United States

#238 in North America

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

19. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

#218 in the United States

#245 in North America

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

20. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

#224 in the United States

#251 in North America

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

21. Humboldt State University

Arcata

#234 in the United States

#265 in North America

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

22. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

#236 in the United States

#267 in North America

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

23. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

#246 in the United States

#277 in North America

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

24. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

#248 in the United States

#279 in North America

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

25. Pepperdine University

Malibu

#261 in the United States

#292 in North America

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

26. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

#267 in the United States

#298 in North America

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

27. Chapman University

Orange

#272 in the United States

#303 in North America

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

28. University of San Diego

San Diego

#273 in the United States

#304 in North America

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

29. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

#295 in the United States

#327 in North America

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

30. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

#297 in the United States

#329 in North America

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

31. Pomona College

Claremont

#299 in the United States

#331 in North America

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

32. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

#302 in the United States

#334 in North America

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

33. University of the Pacific

Stockton

#307 in the United States

#339 in North America

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

34. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

#317 in the United States

#354 in North America

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

35. University of California - Merced

Merced

#324 in the United States

#361 in North America

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

36. California State University - Chico

Chico

#333 in the United States

#370 in North America

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

37. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

#342 in the United States

#379 in North America

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

38. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

#359 in the United States

#399 in North America

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

39. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park

#377 in the United States

#419 in North America

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

40. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

#383 in the United States

#426 in North America

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

41. Occidental College

Los Angeles

#399 in the United States

#444 in North America

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

42. California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos

#411 in the United States

#457 in North America

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

43. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

#436 in the United States

#485 in North America

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

44. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

#453 in the United States

#502 in North America

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

45. Alliant International University - San Diego

San Diego

#466 in the United States

#515 in North America

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

46. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

#470 in the United States

#519 in North America

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

47. Azusa Pacific University

Azusa

#517 in the United States

#568 in North America

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

48. Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga

#525 in the United States

#576 in North America

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

49. California State University - Monterey Bay

Seaside

#534 in the United States

#586 in North America

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

50. Mills College

Oakland

#544 in the United States

#596 in North America

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

51. Biola University

La Mirada

#549 in the United States

#601 in North America

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

52. University of California - Hastings College of Law

San Francisco

#566 in the United States

#622 in North America

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

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni 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

Closest to California states