49 Best colleges for Oncology and Cancer research 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 Oncology and Cancer research. A graph of 11.5M citations received by 202K academic papers made by 49 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 - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Oncology and Cancer research

#4 in the United States

#4 in North America

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

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Oncology and Cancer research

#6 in the United States

#6 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 Oncology and Cancer research

#10 in the United States

#11 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 Oncology and Cancer research

#15 in the United States

#16 in North America

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

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Oncology and Cancer research

#20 in the United States

#21 in North America

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

6. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Oncology and Cancer research

#50 in the United States

#53 in North America

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

7. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Oncology and Cancer research

#52 in the United States

#55 in North America

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

8. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Oncology and Cancer research

#57 in the United States

#61 in North America

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

9. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Oncology and Cancer research

#77 in the United States

#86 in North America

Enrollment: 48
Male:Female: 37:63

10. Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope

Duarte

For Oncology and Cancer research

#94 in the United States

#106 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 90
Founded: 1994

11. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Oncology and Cancer research

#113 in the United States

#126 in North America

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

12. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Oncology and Cancer research

#116 in the United States

#129 in North America

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

13. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Oncology and Cancer research

#145 in the United States

#160 in North America

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

14. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Oncology and Cancer research

#151 in the United States

#167 in North America

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

15. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Oncology and Cancer research

#152 in the United States

#168 in North America

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

16. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Oncology and Cancer research

#178 in the United States

#197 in North America

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

17. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Oncology and Cancer research

#182 in the United States

#201 in North America

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

18. Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

Los Angeles

For Oncology and Cancer research

#198 in the United States

#218 in North America

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

19. West Los Angeles College

Culver

For Oncology and Cancer research

#199 in the United States

#220 in North America

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

20. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Oncology and Cancer research

#224 in the United States

#246 in North America

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

21. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Oncology and Cancer research

#259 in the United States

#285 in North America

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

22. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Oncology and Cancer research

#277 in the United States

#308 in North America

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

23. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Oncology and Cancer research

#285 in the United States

#317 in North America

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

24. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Oncology and Cancer research

#302 in the United States

#334 in North America

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

25. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Oncology and Cancer research

#309 in the United States

#342 in North America

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

26. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Oncology and Cancer research

#319 in the United States

#354 in North America

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

27. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Oncology and Cancer research

#335 in the United States

#370 in North America

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

28. Chapman University

Orange

For Oncology and Cancer research

#336 in the United States

#371 in North America

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

29. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Oncology and Cancer research

#339 in the United States

#374 in North America

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

30. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Oncology and Cancer research

#350 in the United States

#385 in North America

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

31. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Oncology and Cancer research

#353 in the United States

#389 in North America

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

32. Keck Graduate Institute

Claremont

For Oncology and Cancer research

#368 in the United States

#404 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 602
Male:Female: 30:70
Founded: 1997

33. Pomona College

Claremont

For Oncology and Cancer research

#371 in the United States

#407 in North America

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

34. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Oncology and Cancer research

#376 in the United States

#412 in North America

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

35. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Oncology and Cancer research

#382 in the United States

#418 in North America

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

36. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Oncology and Cancer research

#408 in the United States

#444 in North America

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

37. Touro University California

Vallejo

For Oncology and Cancer research

#418 in the United States

#454 in North America

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

38. Dominican University of California

San Rafael

For Oncology and Cancer research

#435 in the United States

#471 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1181
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $51,292

39. Alliant International University - San Diego

San Diego

For Oncology and Cancer research

#445 in the United States

#482 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 0%
Net Price: $25,481
Receiving Aid: 33%
Average Aid: $9,411

40. Azusa Pacific University

Azusa

For Oncology and Cancer research

#452 in the United States

#490 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1154
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $26,117

41. Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley

For Oncology and Cancer research

#464 in the United States

#503 in North America

Enrollment: 178
Male:Female: 50:50

42. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Oncology and Cancer research

#471 in the United States

#511 in North America

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

43. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Oncology and Cancer research

#474 in the United States

#514 in North America

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

44. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Oncology and Cancer research

#478 in the United States

#518 in North America

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

45. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Oncology and Cancer research

#482 in the United States

#522 in North America

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

46. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Oncology and Cancer research

#507 in the United States

#550 in North America

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

47. Fielding Graduate University

Santa Barbara

For Oncology and Cancer research

#537 in the United States

#582 in North America

Enrollment: 937
Male:Female: 19:81
Founded: 1974

48. Claremont Graduate University

Claremont

For Oncology and Cancer research

#557 in the United States

#602 in North America

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

49. University of the West

Rosemead

For Oncology and Cancer research

#559 in the United States

#604 in North America

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

Closest to California states to learn Oncology and Cancer research

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Nevada	4	170
Oregon	6	36
Utah	4	39
Arizona	5	48
Idaho	3	308
Washington	8	12
Colorado	8	37
New Mexico	3	80
Nebraska	6	56
South Dakota	4	183
Kansas	6	105
Texas	38	2
Oklahoma	7	87
North Dakota	3	179
Minnesota	8	8
Iowa	5	55
Missouri	12	17
Arkansas	6	69
Louisiana	10	70
Wisconsin	6	27
Illinois	21	19
Mississippi	5	120
Indiana	14	26
Michigan	12	5
Tennessee	17	32
Alabama	11	28
Kentucky	5	58
Ohio	21	22
Georgia	15	24
West Virginia	8	100
South Carolina	9	59
North Carolina	19	14
Virginia	15	47
Pennsylvania	37	7
Florida	22	40
District of Columbia	6	38
Maryland	12	3
New York	48	9
New Jersey	13	44
Connecticut	11	13
Massachusetts	28	1
New Hampshire	3	72
Rhode Island	4	64
Maine	3	305
Puerto Rico	7	231