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State Overview

Colleges in California: 104 Ranked by Earnings, Tuition & Graduation Rate

Every college in California with verified College Scorecard data, ranked three ways below: by graduate earnings, by in-state tuition and by graduation rate. 142 institutions in total.

Institutions

142

Avg In-State Tuition

$29,230

Avg Out-of-State

$33,524

Avg Earnings

$54,716

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Quick answer

According to College Scorecard data on CollegeFactbook.com, California has 142 degree-granting colleges and universities with average in-state tuition of $29,230 and average graduate earnings of $54,716 ten years after entry.

State Overview

California has 142 higher education institutions. The average in-state tuition is $29,229.52, while the average out-of-state tuition is $33,523.96. The average graduate earnings are $54,716.13.

These figures reflect the value proposition of California's higher education system. The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition suggests a significant investment for non-residents. The average graduate earnings indicate a return on investment for students.

Generated from College Scorecard & IPEDS data

Schools by Type

University of California-San Diego logo

University of California-San Diego

PUBLIC

La Jolla, CA

Tuition

$15,265

Avg Earnings

$65,669

Acceptance

25%
University of California-Davis logo

University of California-Davis

PUBLIC

Davis, CA

Tuition

$15,247

Avg Earnings

$58,461

Acceptance

42%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo logo

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

PUBLIC

San Luis Obispo, CA

Tuition

$11,075

Avg Earnings

$72,358

Acceptance

30%

University of California-Irvine

PUBLIC

Irvine, CA

Tuition

$14,237

Avg Earnings

$56,210

Acceptance

26%

California State University-Long Beach

PUBLIC

Long Beach, CA

Tuition

$7,008

Avg Earnings

$50,062

Acceptance

47%
University of California-Los Angeles logo

University of California-Los Angeles

PUBLIC

Los Angeles, CA

Tuition

$13,747

Avg Earnings

$59,063

Acceptance

9%
San Diego State University logo

San Diego State University

PUBLIC

San Diego, CA

Tuition

$8,290

Avg Earnings

$52,620

Acceptance

34%
University of California-Santa Cruz logo

University of California-Santa Cruz

PUBLIC

Santa Cruz, CA

Tuition

$14,560

Avg Earnings

$49,716

Acceptance

63%
California State University-Fullerton logo

California State University-Fullerton

PUBLIC

Fullerton, CA

Tuition

$7,073

Avg Earnings

$48,558

Acceptance

87%
San Jose State University logo

San Jose State University

PUBLIC

San Jose, CA

Tuition

$7,992

Avg Earnings

$62,448

Acceptance

80%
University of California-Santa Barbara logo

University of California-Santa Barbara

PUBLIC

Santa Barbara, CA

Tuition

$14,965

Avg Earnings

$56,852

Acceptance

28%

University of California-Riverside

PUBLIC

Riverside, CA

Tuition

$14,170

Avg Earnings

$48,593

Acceptance

63%
University of California-Merced logo

University of California-Merced

PUBLIC

Merced, CA

Tuition

$14,167

Avg Earnings

$48,475

Acceptance

39%
University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

PUBLIC

Berkeley, CA

Tuition

$14,850

Avg Earnings

$74,919

Acceptance

12%
California State University-Northridge logo

California State University-Northridge

PUBLIC

Northridge, CA

Tuition

$7,095

Avg Earnings

$44,372

Acceptance

93%

San Francisco State University

PUBLIC

San Francisco, CA

Tuition

$7,424

Avg Earnings

$52,650

Acceptance

96%
California State University-Sacramento logo

California State University-Sacramento

PUBLIC

Sacramento, CA

Tuition

$7,602

Avg Earnings

$51,074

Acceptance

94%
California State University-Fresno logo

California State University-Fresno

PUBLIC

Fresno, CA

Tuition

$6,980

Avg Earnings

$44,012

Acceptance

96%
California State University-Monterey Bay logo

California State University-Monterey Bay

PUBLIC

Seaside, CA

Tuition

$7,437

Avg Earnings

$48,648

Acceptance

95%
Sonoma State University logo

Sonoma State University

PUBLIC

Rohnert Park, CA

Tuition

$8,190

Avg Earnings

$52,179

Acceptance

95%

Popular Majors in California

Business Administration, Management and Operations

38,838 graduates

Psychology, General

15,293 graduates

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

10,565 graduates

Biology, General

9,353 graduates

Sociology

8,687 graduates

Communication and Media Studies

8,132 graduates

Education, General

7,375 graduates

Economics

7,003 graduates

Health and Physical Education/Fitness

6,688 graduates

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

6,511 graduates

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

6,336 graduates

Political Science and Government

5,940 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations Salary Psychology, General Salary Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Salary

Cost Comparison

CA Avg In-State $29,230
CA Avg Out-of-State $33,524

Cost Analysis

California's average in-state tuition of $29,230 compares to an average out-of-state tuition of $33,524. The average graduate from a California institution earns $54,716 within 5 years of graduation.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are 142 colleges and universities in California, including public, private non-profit, and for-profit institutions.

Best Colleges in California, Ranked by Data

Three orderings of the same 104 colleges, straight from College Scorecard: who earns most after graduating, who charges least in-state, and who graduates the largest share. No editorial weighting.

Best colleges in California by graduate earnings

  1. 1 California Institute of Technology $132,140 median, 5 yrs · Pasadena
  2. 2 Harvey Mudd College $115,107 median, 5 yrs · Claremont
  3. 3 American University of Health Sciences $111,064 median, 5 yrs · Signal Hill
  4. 4 Stanford University $102,887 median, 5 yrs · Stanford
  5. 5 Santa Clara University $91,198 median, 5 yrs · Santa Clara
  6. 6 Gnomon $90,652 median, 5 yrs · North Hollywood
  7. 7 Loma Linda University $88,185 median, 5 yrs · Loma Linda
  8. 8 Claremont McKenna College $87,603 median, 5 yrs · Claremont
  9. 9 California State University Maritime Academy $84,676 median, 5 yrs · Vallejo
  10. 10 Chamberlain University-California $84,533 median, 5 yrs · Rancho Cordova

Cheapest colleges in California by in-state tuition

  1. 1 California State University-Los Angeles $6,813 / year · Los Angeles
  2. 2 California State University-Channel Islands $6,817 / year · Camarillo
  3. 3 California State University-Fresno $6,980 / year · Fresno
  4. 4 California State University-Long Beach $7,008 / year · Long Beach
  5. 5 California State University-East Bay $7,055 / year · Hayward
  6. 6 California State University-Dominguez Hills $7,064 / year · Carson
  7. 7 California State University-Fullerton $7,073 / year · Fullerton
  8. 8 California State University-Northridge $7,095 / year · Northridge
  9. 9 San Francisco State University $7,424 / year · San Francisco
  10. 10 California State University-Monterey Bay $7,437 / year · Seaside

Best colleges in California by graduation rate

  1. 1 Stanford University 94 % graduate · Stanford
  2. 2 Pomona College 94 % graduate · Claremont
  3. 3 California Institute of Technology 94 % graduate · Pasadena
  4. 4 University of California-Berkeley 94 % graduate · Berkeley
  5. 5 Claremont McKenna College 93 % graduate · Claremont
  6. 6 Harvey Mudd College 93 % graduate · Claremont
  7. 7 University of California-Los Angeles 93 % graduate · Los Angeles
  8. 8 University of Southern California 92 % graduate · Los Angeles
  9. 9 Santa Clara University 89 % graduate · Santa Clara
  10. 10 University of California-San Diego 88 % graduate · La Jolla

National rankings: highest earning · most affordable · best graduation rate · best ROI.