Most Selective Colleges in California
Ranked by acceptance rate (87 colleges with at least 500 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Acceptance rate | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit | 3% | $16,075 | $128,566 |
| 2 | Minerva University San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit | 3% | — | — |
| 3 | Stanford University Stanford, CA · Private nonprofit | 4% | $13,807 | $124,080 |
| 4 | Pomona College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | 7% | $19,285 | $77,779 |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | 9% | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 6 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | 10% | $28,849 | $104,736 |
| 7 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | 10% | $32,740 | $92,498 |
| 8 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA · Private for-profit | 10% | $45,372 | $62,144 |
| 9 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | 11% | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 10 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | 13% | $35,924 | $138,687 |
| 11 | Pitzer College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | 25% | $34,191 | $69,512 |
| 12 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public | 27% | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 13 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public | 29% | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 14 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public | 31% | $16,665 | $90,768 |
| 15 | California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA · Private nonprofit | 32% | $46,080 | $41,198 |
| 16 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA · Public | 33% | $16,109 | $74,915 |
| 17 | Hope International University Fullerton, CA · Private nonprofit | 33% | $29,310 | $49,697 |
| 18 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA · Public | 36% | $15,364 | $64,909 |
| 19 | Scripps College Claremont, CA · Private nonprofit | 38% | $36,294 | $77,539 |
| 20 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public | 42% | $14,741 | $80,838 |
| 21 | Casa Loma College-Los Angeles Sherman Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit | 43% | $27,596 | $49,854 |
| 22 | Occidental College Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | 44% | $38,263 | $75,951 |
| 23 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | 45% | $48,381 | $78,349 |
| 24 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public | 46% | $10,440 | $64,403 |
| 25 | Pacific Union College Angwin, CA · Private nonprofit | 47% | $41,008 | $70,484 |
| 26 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA · Private nonprofit | 48% | $50,062 | $109,183 |
| 27 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit | 52% | $30,365 | $86,522 |
| 28 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit | 62% | $41,431 | $89,812 |
| 29 | Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit | 62% | $21,241 | $59,541 |
| 30 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA · Private nonprofit | 63% | $58,098 | $82,939 |
| 31 | MTI College Sacramento, CA · Private for-profit | 63% | $21,740 | $45,328 |
| 32 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA · Private nonprofit | 64% | $13,630 | $58,896 |
| 33 | Chapman University Orange, CA · Private nonprofit | 65% | $46,555 | $70,070 |
| 34 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA · Public | 66% | $17,890 | $68,396 |
| 35 | Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit | 66% | $28,115 | $65,083 |
| 36 | Menlo College Atherton, CA · Private nonprofit | 68% | $31,100 | $76,419 |
| 37 | University of La Verne La Verne, CA · Private nonprofit | 71% | $20,161 | $65,464 |
| 38 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA · Private nonprofit | 71% | $25,447 | $78,445 |
| 39 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | 73% | $21,413 | $72,379 |
| 40 | Westcliff University Irvine, CA · Private for-profit | 73% | $35,426 | — |
| 41 | Southern California Institute of Technology Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit | 74% | $33,392 | $53,598 |
| 42 | Biola University La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit | 74% | $31,495 | $56,778 |
| 43 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit | 75% | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| 44 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public | 75% | $11,531 | $71,902 |
| 45 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA · Private nonprofit | 76% | $30,109 | $68,712 |
| 46 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public | 76% | $14,304 | $67,699 |
| 47 | Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofit | 77% | $29,053 | $64,778 |
| 48 | Musicians Institute Hollywood, CA · Private for-profit | 78% | $46,518 | $32,778 |
| 49 | Chamberlain University-California Rancho Cordova, CA · Private for-profit | 80% | $36,559 | $92,405 |
| 50 | Whittier College Whittier, CA · Private nonprofit | 81% | $25,757 | $59,492 |
| 51 | Woodbury University Burbank, CA · Private nonprofit | 82% | $33,692 | $65,668 |
| 52 | Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | 82% | $51,248 | $58,152 |
| 53 | University of Redlands Redlands, CA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $30,031 | $72,690 |
| 54 | Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $26,196 | $55,619 |
| 55 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofit | 84% | $35,333 | $84,713 |
| 56 | Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit | 84% | $38,729 | $63,998 |
| 57 | The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA · Private nonprofit | 84% | $32,647 | $57,106 |
| 58 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA · Public | 85% | $13,760 | $78,988 |
| 59 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit | 85% | $26,285 | $61,504 |
| 60 | Simpson University Redding, CA · Private nonprofit | 86% | $27,817 | $54,340 |
| 61 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, CA · Private nonprofit | 87% | $30,378 | $78,812 |
| 62 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit | 88% | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| 63 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA · Public | 91% | $6,555 | $62,951 |
| 64 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA · Public | 91% | $11,983 | $64,368 |
| 65 | California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit | 91% | $53,909 | $49,414 |
| 66 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | 91% | $3,967 | $59,211 |
| 67 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit | 92% | $45,566 | $61,824 |
| 68 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public | 93% | $14,480 | $64,172 |
| 69 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA · Public | 93% | $8,615 | $57,162 |
| 70 | William Jessup University Rocklin, CA · Private nonprofit | 93% | $28,062 | $56,257 |
| 71 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA · Public | 93% | $12,885 | $65,986 |
| 72 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA · Public | 93% | $7,021 | $59,115 |
| 73 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA · Public | 94% | $4,564 | $59,977 |
| 74 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA · Public | 94% | $5,652 | $59,009 |
| 75 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA · Public | 94% | $9,338 | $64,876 |
| 76 | Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA · Private nonprofit | 94% | $42,505 | $47,867 |
| 77 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA · Public | 95% | $9,849 | $62,152 |
| 78 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA · Public | 95% | $20,555 | $94,784 |
| 79 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA · Public | 95% | $10,229 | $62,908 |
| 80 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public | 95% | $7,000 | $61,244 |
| 81 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA · Public | 96% | $12,278 | $68,077 |
| 82 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA · Public | 97% | $9,320 | $71,401 |
| 83 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA · Public | 97% | $13,663 | $59,247 |
| 84 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA · Public | 98% | $6,067 | $63,188 |
| 85 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA · Public | 98% | $13,171 | $47,626 |
| 86 | DeVry University-California Ontario, CA · Private for-profit | 99% | $33,744 | $45,987 |
| 87 | Reach University Oakland, CA · Private nonprofit | 100% | $22,423 | — |