HighSchoolOS Best Colleges in California
The strongest colleges and universities in California, ranked by graduation rate and selectivity, with verified acceptance rates, net price, and test scores for this admissions cycle.
Explore this ranking interactively| # | School | Location | Acceptance | SAT avg | Net price | Grad rate | Undergrads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 3.6% | 1,553 | $13,807 | 92% | 7,554 |
| 2 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 9.8% | 1,495 | $32,740 | 92% | 20,443 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 2.6% | n/a | $16,075 | 94% | 987 |
| 4 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA | 7.1% | 1,534 | $19,285 | 93% | 1,666 |
| 5 | Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | 12.7% | 1,545 | $35,924 | 92% | 921 |
| 6 | Soka University of America | Aliso Viejo, CA | 43% | 1,440 | $18,260 | 92% | 484 |
| 7 | Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | 9.6% | 1,527 | $28,849 | 91% | 1,388 |
| 8 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 48% | 1,426 | $50,062 | 88% | 6,552 |
| 9 | University of San Diego | San Diego, CA | 52% | n/a | $30,365 | 84% | 5,671 |
| 10 | Pitzer College | Claremont, CA | 25% | n/a | $34,191 | 83% | 1,227 |
| 11 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 63% | 1,384 | $58,098 | 83% | 3,553 |
| 12 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA | 38% | 1,492 | $36,294 | 83% | 1,113 |
| 13 | Chapman University | Orange, CA | 65% | 1,357 | $46,555 | 82% | 7,478 |
| 14 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA | 44% | 1,452 | $38,263 | 81% | 1,877 |
| 15 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA | 45% | 1,359 | $48,381 | 79% | 7,094 |
| 16 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 84% | 1,290 | $35,333 | 78% | 1,114 |
| 17 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 84% | 1,287 | $38,729 | 77% | 3,188 |
| 18 | Southern California Institute of Architecture | Los Angeles, CA | 77% | n/a | $43,923 | 71% | 236 |
| 19 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 77% | 1,328 | $29,053 | 70% | 1,302 |
| 20 | Saint Mary's College of California | Moraga, CA | 87% | n/a | $30,378 | 70% | 1,947 |
| 21 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 62% | 1,295 | $41,431 | 70% | 5,287 |
| 22 | California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 76% | 1,266 | $30,109 | 70% | 2,296 |
| 23 | University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 71% | 1,346 | $25,447 | 69% | 3,204 |
| 24 | The Master's University and Seminary | Santa Clarita, CA | 84% | n/a | $32,647 | 68% | 1,622 |
| 25 | University of Redlands | Redlands, CA | 83% | 1,241 | $30,031 | 67% | 2,049 |
| 26 | Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles, CA | 82% | 1,310 | $51,248 | 66% | 1,223 |
| 27 | University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 71% | 1,083 | $20,161 | 63% | 3,050 |
| 28 | California College of the Arts | San Francisco, CA | 91% | n/a | $53,909 | 61% | 990 |
| 29 | Woodbury University | Burbank, CA | 82% | n/a | $33,692 | 60% | 779 |
| 30 | Whittier College | Whittier, CA | 81% | n/a | $25,757 | 60% | 764 |
| 31 | La Sierra University | Riverside, CA | 92% | n/a | $45,566 | 60% | 1,116 |
| 32 | Concordia University-Irvine | Irvine, CA | 66% | n/a | $28,115 | 58% | 1,536 |
| 33 | Menlo College | Atherton, CA | 68% | n/a | $31,100 | 54% | 752 |
| 34 | Mount Saint Mary's University | Los Angeles, CA | 73% | n/a | $21,413 | 53% | 1,719 |
| 35 | Fresno Pacific University | Fresno, CA | 64% | n/a | $13,630 | 50% | 1,544 |
| 36 | Simpson University | Redding, CA | 86% | n/a | $27,817 | 49% | 809 |
| 37 | Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science | Los Angeles, CA | 39% | n/a | $35,558 | 30% | 282 |
| 38 | Minerva University | San Francisco, CA | 3.0% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 637 |
| 39 | DHARMA REALM BUDDHIST UNIVERSITY | Ukiah, CA | 41% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 25 |
| 40 | San Francisco Bay University | Fremont, CA | 96% | n/a | n/a | n/a | 126 |
Acceptance rate, net price (average cost after aid), and graduation rate are from the most recent federal data; test ranges and deadlines are verified against each school for the 2025-2026 cycle. Click any school for its full profile, deadlines, and supplemental essay prompts.