Top-Rated Colleges (DR Rating) in California
Colleges with the highest DegreeReturn Rating — our transparent 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate.
Showing California
Clear state| # | College | Type | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Private | $145,453 | $13,807 | $12,000 | +1,585% | Strong return | |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Public | $89,838 | $13,481 | $13,000 | +664% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Pomona College Claremont, CA | Private | $131,742 | $19,285 | $11,782 | +965% | Strong return | |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA | Private | $133,219 | $16,075 | — | +1,272% | Strong return | |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Public | $81,976 | $12,548 | $14,000 | +569% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA | Public | $139,682 | $7,653 | $10,500 | +2,649% | Strong return | |
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Public | $87,876 | $16,665 | $18,500 | +484% | Strong return | |
| 8 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | Public | $78,315 | $12,470 | $15,500 | +500% | Strong return | |
| 9 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | Public | $77,073 | $14,251 | $15,000 | +413% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA | Private | $151,744 | $28,849 | $13,500 | +787% | Strong return | |
| 11 | Butte College Oroville, CA | Public | $81,627 | $5,520 | $10,500 | +2,364% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Contra Costa College San Pablo, CA | Public | $135,374 | $9,490 | — | +4,662% | Strong return | |
| 13 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Public | $74,836 | $14,741 | $13,000 | +368% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Ohlone College Fremont, CA | Public | $128,248 | $11,130 | — | +3,640% | Strong return | |
| 15 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Public | $81,942 | $13,760 | $15,000 | +511% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA | Public | $79,530 | $10,261 | $12,750 | +1,272% | Strong return | |
| 17 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Public | $73,857 | $16,109 | $13,993 | +315% | Strong return | |
| 18 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | Public | $70,510 | $6,555 | $13,750 | +717% | Strong return | |
| 19 | Mission College Santa Clara, CA | Public | $77,684 | $5,080 | — | +3,117% | Strong return | |
| 20 | Allan Hancock College Santa Maria, CA | Public | $73,851 | $5,383 | — | +2,580% | Strong return | |
| 21 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA | Private | $90,970 | $25,447 | $19,500 | +322% | Strong return | |
| 22 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Private | $91,200 | $32,740 | $18,000 | +236% | Strong return | |
| 23 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Public | $69,084 | $7,021 | $13,872 | +627% | Strong return | |
| 24 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA | Public | $115,803 | $20,555 | $24,965 | +675% | Strong return | |
| 25 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA | Private | $172,049 | $35,924 | $25,000 | +731% | Strong return | |
| 26 | Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles, CA | Public | $73,339 | $5,964 | — | +2,276% | Strong return | |
| 27 | California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA | Public | $66,980 | $10,440 | $14,289 | +368% | Strong return | |
| 28 | Chabot College Hayward, CA | Public | $65,901 | $9,053 | $9,500 | +869% | Strong return | |
| 29 | Folsom Lake College Folsom, CA | Public | $70,963 | $5,975 | — | +2,073% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Skyline College San Bruno, CA | Public | $75,221 | $1,738 | — | +4,247% | Strong return | |
| 31 | University of California-Merced Merced, CA | Public | $65,714 | $11,983 | $16,144 | +285% | Strong return | |
| 32 | California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA | Public | $72,474 | $10,229 | $17,350 | +482% | Strong return | |
| 33 | Shasta College Redding, CA | Public | $79,553 | $2,878 | $14,250 | +1,968% | Strong return | |
| 34 | Solano Community College Fairfield, CA | Public | $71,105 | $4,669 | $12,000 | +1,033% | Strong return | |
| 35 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA | Public | $65,948 | $11,531 | $16,000 | +303% | Strong return | |
| 36 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | Public | $65,267 | $7,000 | $14,505 | +509% | Strong return | |
| 37 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA | Public | $74,638 | $9,320 | $16,544 | +584% | Strong return | |
| 38 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Public | $63,042 | $3,967 | $13,000 | +776% | Strong return | |
| 39 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA | Private | $98,885 | $35,333 | $27,000 | +257% | Strong return | |
| 40 | College of the Siskiyous Weed, CA | Public | $63,869 | $11,120 | $10,750 | +621% | Strong return | |
| 41 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA | Public | $65,947 | $5,763 | — | +1,717% | Strong return | |
| 42 | Unitek College Fremont, CA | For-profit | $79,182 | $25,179 | $10,700 | +227% | Strong return | |
| 43 | Cosumnes River College Sacramento, CA | Public | $58,609 | $5,981 | $10,722 | +758% | Strong return | |
| 44 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA | Public | $53,218 | $3,337 | $6,750 | +420% | Strong return | |
| 45 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Public | $64,958 | $9,338 | $15,000 | +366% | Strong return | |
| 46 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA | Public | $67,040 | $15,364 | $15,000 | +229% | Strong return | |
| 47 | College of Marin Kentfield, CA | Public | $63,191 | $12,351 | $10,062 | +541% | Strong return | |
| 48 | College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA | Public | $52,678 | $480 | $4,500 | +2,853% | Strong return | |
| 49 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA | Public | $55,690 | $6,331 | $9,500 | +563% | Strong return | |
| 50 | California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA | Public | $64,235 | $5,652 | $16,600 | +571% | Strong return | |
| 51 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA | Public | $60,484 | $6,067 | $13,540 | +430% | Strong return | |
| 52 | College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA | Public | $59,659 | $536 | $14,695 | +2,181% | Strong return | |
| 53 | Sacramento City College Sacramento, CA | Public | $54,230 | $6,614 | $10,500 | +441% | Strong return | |
| 54 | Evergreen Valley College San Jose, CA | Public | $61,802 | $12,414 | $13,219 | +467% | Strong return | |
| 55 | Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA | Public | $53,689 | $4,152 | $9,500 | +639% | Strong return | |
| 56 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA | Public | $60,342 | $2,779 | $6,450 | +1,039% | Strong return | |
| 57 | Menlo College Atherton, CA | Private | $93,801 | $31,100 | $21,750 | +269% | Strong return | |
| 58 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | Public | $57,240 | $4,564 | $14,715 | +418% | Strong return | |
| 59 | Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington, CA | Public | $67,965 | $13,250 | — | +767% | Strong return | |
| 60 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | Public | $67,980 | $12,278 | $15,371 | +320% | Strong return | |
| 61 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Public | $52,556 | $6,906 | $8,218 | +350% | Strong return | |
| 62 | Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA | Private | $70,576 | $13,630 | $23,146 | +306% | Strong return | |
| 63 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA | Public | $58,590 | $1,947 | — | +1,645% | Strong return | |
| 64 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA | Public | $49,999 | $3,864 | $6,651 | +392% | Strong return | |
| 65 | Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA | Public | $54,515 | $11,315 | $11,000 | +257% | Strong return | |
| 66 | Cypress College Cypress, CA | Public | $57,119 | $4,606 | $10,000 | +449% | Strong return | |
| 67 | American River College Sacramento, CA | Public | $52,472 | $7,999 | $9,625 | +283% | Strong return | |
| 68 | Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto, CA | Public | $56,787 | $6,806 | — | +766% | Strong return | |
| 69 | Grossmont College El Cajon, CA | Public | $49,565 | $5,311 | $8,625 | +232% | Strong return | |
| 70 | University of La Verne La Verne, CA | Private | $74,004 | $20,161 | $23,500 | +225% | Strong return | |
| 71 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County Anaheim, CA | For-profit | $93,210 | $32,879 | $32,946 | +236% | Strong return | |
| 72 | Gavilan College Gilroy, CA | Public | $53,082 | $6,542 | — | +518% | Strong return | |
| 73 | Los Medanos College Pittsburg, CA | Public | $50,777 | $7,443 | — | +288% | Strong return | |
| 74 | Norco College Norco, CA | Public | $49,263 | $5,169 | — | +312% | Strong return | |
| 75 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA | Private | $102,953 | $50,062 | $19,162 | +180% | Strong return | |
| 76 | Chamberlain University-California Rancho Cordova, CA | For-profit | $92,768 | $36,559 | $20,919 | +211% | Strong return | |
| 77 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA | Public | $62,652 | $12,885 | $16,705 | +206% | Strong return | |
| 78 | National Career Education Citrus Heights, CA | For-profit | $57,474 | $25,380 | $7,853 | +342% | Strong return | |
| 79 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA | Public | $61,938 | $14,304 | $17,500 | +166% | Strong return | |
| 80 | Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA | Public | $49,333 | $2,818 | — | +284% | Strong return | |
| 81 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA | Public | $56,990 | $8,615 | $13,807 | +204% | Strong return | |
| 82 | Berkeley City College Berkeley, CA | Public | $50,844 | $9,096 | — | +221% | Strong return | |
| 83 | Laney College Oakland, CA | Public | $56,002 | $17,110 | — | +222% | Strong return | |
| 84 | Napa Valley College Napa, CA | Public | $54,673 | $14,644 | $10,147 | +193% | Strong return | |
| 85 | National University San Diego, CA | Private | $74,696 | $22,878 | $25,000 | +195% | Strong return | |
| 86 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA | Private | $77,610 | $30,365 | $22,940 | +151% | Strong return | |
| 87 | Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA | Private | $71,931 | $21,413 | $25,949 | +183% | Strong return | |
| 88 | Southwestern College Chula Vista, CA | Public | $52,315 | $12,671 | $4,500 | +171% | Strong return | |
| 89 | College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA | Public | $54,334 | $15,728 | — | +197% | Strong return | |
| 90 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | Public | $61,708 | $14,480 | $16,552 | +161% | Strong return | |
| 91 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | Public | $63,496 | $17,890 | $16,666 | +138% | Strong return | |
| 92 | West Coast University-Ontario Ontario, CA | For-profit | $110,377 | $49,590 | $32,946 | +211% | Strong return | |
| 93 | College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA | Public | $49,535 | $3,702 | $9,612 | +148% | Strong return | |
| 94 | California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA | Public | $56,106 | $9,849 | $15,000 | +148% | Strong return | |
| 95 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CA | Public | $51,171 | $5,814 | $4,725 | +147% | Strong return | |
| 96 | MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA | Public | $53,078 | $7,339 | $9,000 | +148% | Strong return | |
| 97 | West Valley College Saratoga, CA | Public | $46,590 | $3,423 | — | +132% | Strong return | |
| 98 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA | Public | $57,518 | $13,663 | $12,750 | +111% | Strong return | |
| 99 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA | Public | $48,114 | $6,490 | $5,880 | +106% | Strong return | |
| 100 | University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo, CA | Public | $77,949 | $32,654 | $24,276 | +136% | Strong return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Best ROI Colleges in the U.S.Best Value CollegesHighest 20-Year ROI CollegesBest Colleges for Economic MobilityHighest-Earning CollegesLowest-Debt CollegesLowest Net-Price CollegesBest-Rated Majors (DR Rating)Highest-Paying MajorsBest ROI MajorsLowest-Debt MajorsFastest-Growing Majors by Job OutlookMajors With the Most Job Openings