Best public colleges in California

Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock

Best public colleges in California

If you’re going to go to college—or send your child to college—you want to choose the best one. But what exactly that means is different for each person.

There are a lot of factors, including how big the college is both overall and in terms of class sizes. It also matters whether a college has good programs for the fields you’re more interested in studying, the types of sports or other student activities that interest you, decent access to student housing either on or off campus, and a high graduation rate. There’s also life after college to consider: Does a college have a good support system for people seeking employment, a strong alumni network, or a high rate of job placements at or just after graduation?

Colleges themselves suggest the most important factors for students are, or should be, emotional ones, like “whether you feel comfortable on campus,” as the University of South Florida puts it, or “how the school made you feel,” as Concordia College puts it.

But Money.com is just one of the independent sources that suggests cost is in fact the most important factor when choosing a college. U.S. News & World Report cautions that the baseline price can be misleading. In-state students at public colleges have the lowest so-called “sticker prices,” averaging $10,338 in the 2021-2022 school year, as compared with $38,185 at private colleges. That means less need for scholarships, loans, or family penny-pinching. But some of those more expensive colleges help to counter the price difference with generous financial aid packages—and some promise to ensure students have no debt upon graduation.

With so many factors to consider, it’s important to look beyond just the basic data on a college’s website. Stacker reviewed data from Niche to compile a list of the best public colleges in California. Niche’s methodology rates academic quality as the most important—which includes the quality of professors, the college’s acceptance and graduation rates, and how much they spend on research. Next in Niche’s importance is value—which includes the average cost students pay after financial aid is factored in, the average loan amount students take out each year, and metrics about graduates’ earnings and ability to repay student debt.

The analysis also considers other factors, including diversity on campus, quality of student life, campus housing and food options, and data about aspects of the surrounding community, including crime rates and rent prices.

Read on to see which public colleges in California rank the highest.

smolaw // Shutterstock

#25. Sonoma State University

– Rohnert Park, CA
– #327 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 94%
– Net price: $7,055
– SAT Range: 950-1150

Canva

#24. San Francisco State University

– San Francisco, CA
– #315 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 93%
– Net price: $13,641
– SAT Range: 930-1130

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#23. California State University – Maritime Academy

– Vallejo, CA
– #300 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 82%
– Net price: $16,924
– SAT Range: 960-1190

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#22. California State University – San Marcos

– San Marcos, CA
– #295 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 93%
– Net price: $14,296
– SAT Range: 950-1130

Canva

#21. California State University – Fresno

– Fresno, CA
– #274 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 97%
– Net price: $6,336
– SAT Range: 890-1100

Canva

#20. California State University – Bakersfield

– Bakersfield, CA
– #270 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 85%
– Net price: $7,368
– SAT Range: 790-1020

Kostiantyn Voitenko // Shutterstock

#19. California State University – San Bernardino

– San Bernardino, CA
– #256 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 91%
– Net price: $3,254
– SAT Range: 910-1080

Canva

#18. San Jose State University

– San Jose, CA
– #255 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 84%
– Net price: $14,603
– SAT Range: 1010-1240

stock_photo_world // Shutterstock

#17. California State Polytechnic University – Pomona

– Pomona, CA
– #240 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 61%
– Net price: $12,942
– SAT Range: 1010-1250

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#16. California State University – Channel Islands

– Camarillo, CA
– #236 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 93%
– Net price: $14,493
– SAT Range: 850-1060

pong-photo9 // Shutterstock

#15. University of California – Merced

– Merced, CA
– #234 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 87%
– Net price: $11,586
– SAT Range: 960-1140

wk1003mike // Shutterstock

#14. California State University – Chico

– Chico, CA
– #217 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B
– Acceptance rate: 85%
– Net price: $13,749
– SAT Range: 970-1170

Joyseulay // Shutterstock

#13. California State University – Northridge

– Northridge, CA
– #190 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 88%
– Net price: $8,708
– SAT Range: 900-1110

Canva

#12. University of California – Santa Cruz

– Santa Cruz, CA
– #178 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 59%
– Net price: $19,615
– SAT Range: 1160-1360

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#11. California State University – Sacramento

– Sacramento, CA
– #176 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 94%
– Net price: $7,778
– SAT Range: 930-1130

Motortion Films // Shutterstock

#10. California State University – Stanislaus

– Turlock, CA
– #168 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 95%
– Net price: $7,230
– SAT Range: 810-1030

mangpor2004 // Shutterstock

#9. California State University – Fullerton

– Fullerton, CA
– #104 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 59%
– Net price: $4,939
– SAT Range: 1000-1180

Sean Locke Photography // Shutterstock

#8. University of California – Riverside

– Riverside, CA
– #102 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: B+
– Acceptance rate: 65%
– Net price: $13,502
– SAT Range: 1080-1280

DavidPinoPhotography // Shutterstock

#7. San Diego State University

– San Diego, CA
– #61 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A-
– Acceptance rate: 38%
– Net price: $6,867
– SAT Range: 1090-1300

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#6. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – San Luis Obispo

– San Luis Obispo, CA
– #58 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A-
– Acceptance rate: 33%
– Net price: $20,708
– SAT Range: 1240-1440

Canva

#5. California State University – Long Beach

– Long Beach, CA
– #51 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A
– Acceptance rate: 47%
– Net price: $9,171
– SAT Range: 1020-1240

Canva

#4. University of California – San Diego

– La Jolla, CA
– #17 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A+
– Acceptance rate: 34%
– Net price: $15,632
– SAT Range: Not Available

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#3. University of California – Irvine

– Irvine, CA
– #13 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A+
– Acceptance rate: 29%
– Net price: $11,633
– SAT Range: 1230-1430

Canva

#2. University of California – Berkeley

– Berkeley, CA
– #8 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A+
– Acceptance rate: 14%
– Net price: $17,652
– SAT Range: 1310-1530

Canva

#1. University of California – Los Angeles

– Los Angeles, CA
– #1 nationally
– Overall Niche Grade: A+
– Acceptance rate: 11%
– Net price: $13,393
– SAT Range: Not available

This story features data reporting by Emma Rubin, writing by Jeff Inglis, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.