Would you want to study in California? Searching for the best for your education? Find a compilation of the top ranking colleges in the entire state.
The Golden State of California is rich with culture, beautiful landscapes, and some of the most exciting educational possibilities in the world. An ever-growing number of students, of all field areas, travel to California for high-value small college opportunities.
In the list, we have mentioned the top colleges in California, based on the research by U.S. News & World Report. Discover our complete list and choose the best for a bright future. Good luck!!!
Table of Contents
Stanford University
Founded in 1891, Stanford University is a private research university. It offers 65 major fields of undergraduate study. Stanford is often cited as one of the world’s most prestigious universities. The university is organized around three traditional schools consisting of 40 academic departments at the undergraduate and graduate level and four professional schools that focus on graduate programs in Law, Medicine, Education, and Business. Stanford’s undergraduate program is one of the top three most selective in the United States.
Founded In: 1891
Rank: 1st
Tuition & Fees: $44,757
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 650-723-2300
Website: https://www.stanford.edu/
California Institute of Technology
Founded in 1891, The California Institute of Technology is a private doctorate-granting university. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphasis on science and engineering. Caltech offers 24 majors and six minors across all six academic divisions. Caltech is a small four-year, highly residential research university with a slight majority in graduate programs.
Founded In: 1891
Rank: 2nd
Tuition & Fees: $49,908
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 626-395-6811
Website: http://www.caltech.edu/
University of California, Berkeley
Founded in 1868, The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university. Berkeley offers approximately 350 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The most popular majors are Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Political Science, Molecular and Cell Biology, Environmental Science, and Economics.
Founded In: 1868
Rank: 3rd
Tuition & Fees: In-state: $13,928. Out-of-state: $41,942
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 510-642-6000
Website: https://www.berkeley.edu/
University of California-Los Angeles
Founded in 1919, The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university. The university is organized into six undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and four professional health science schools. It offers 337 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines.
Founded In: 1919
Rank: 4th
Tuition & Fees: In-state: $13,749 Out-of-state: $41,763
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 310-825-4321
Website: http://www.ucla.edu/
University of Southern California
Founded in 1880, The University of Southern California is a private research university. It offers 134 masters, doctoral, and professional degrees through 17 professional schools. The university is one of the top fundraising institutions in the world, consistently ranking among the top three in external contributions and alumni giving rates.
Founded In: 1880
Rank: 5th
Tuition & Fees: $54,323
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 213-740-2311
Website: https://www.usc.edu/
University of California-Santa Barbara
Founded in 1891, The University of California, Santa Barbara is a public research university. The university is a comprehensive doctoral university and is organized into five colleges and schools offering 87 undergraduate degrees and 55 graduate degrees. UC Santa Barbara is a large, comprehensive, primarily residential doctoral university.
Founded In: 1891
Rank: 6th
Tuition & Fees: $14,015
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: (805) 893-2881
Website: https://www.ucsb.edu
University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, The University of California, Irvine is a public research university. UC Irvine offers 80 undergraduate degrees and 98 graduate and professional degrees. UC Irvine set up the first Earth System Science Department in the United States. UCI hosts many research organizations. Some are housed in a school or department office; others are housed in their own facilities.
Founded In: 1965
Rank: 7th
Tuition & Fees: $11,220
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 949-824-5011
Website: https://uci.edu/
University of California-San Diego
Founded in 1903, The University of California, San Diego is a public research university. Ioffersrs over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling about 28,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. The full-time undergraduate program comprises the majority of enrollments at the university. The university offers 125 bachelor’s degree programs organized into five disciplinary divisions: arts and humanities, biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences, and social sciences.
Founded In: 1903
Rank: 8th
Tuition & Fees: In-state: $14,028 Out-of-state: $42,042
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 858-534-2230
Website: http://www.ucsd.edu/
Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is a private, not-for-profit, coeducational research university. The Religion Division offers undergraduate and graduate education in ministry administers a Center for Faith and Learning and an Office of Church Relations. The Ed.D. Program in Organizational leadership, (EDOL) has held international courses in China, Argentina, Chile, Belize, Costa Rica, and India.
Founded In: 1937
Rank: 9th
Tuition & Fees: $51,992
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 310-506-4000
Website: https://www.pepperdine.edu/
University of California—Davis
Founded in 1905, The University of California, Davis is a public research university. The university has 104 undergraduate majors and 96 graduate programs. UC Davis is the only comprehensive academic design unit of the University of California system. The University of California Davis Graduate Programs of Study are post-graduate programs offered by the University of California Davis. The division consists of over 90 programs offering masters and doctoral degrees and post-doctoral courses. The programs educate over 4,000 students from around the world.
Founded In: 1905
Rank: 10th
Tuition & Fees: In-state: $36,499 Out-of-state: $64,513
Finance and Adm. Office Contact: +1 530-752-1011
Website: https://www.ucdavis.edu/
