fbpx

Best 20 Colleges in Southern California in 2024

January 26, 2024 | Admin

1

San Diego State University

  • San Diego, California
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

San Diego State University finishes first on our list of the top universities and colleges in Southern California due to its many high-quality degree programs and its affordable tuition. Undergraduate degree programs range from Aerospace Engineering to Journalism. Graduate programs include Creative Writing, Geophysics, Applied Mathematics and many more.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $7,510 in-state; $19,390 non-resident
Visit School Website
2

California State University – Long Beach

  • Long Beach, California
  • Graduation Rate: 68%

California State University – Long Beach is the highest-ranking institution from the Los Angeles area on our list. CSULB, as it is commonly known, offers a very wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees through eight colleges. CSULB also offers vocational programs in areas like Medical Coding and Law Enforcement that culminate in a certificate.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $6,384 in-state; $18,714 non-resident
Visit School Website
3

University of California – Los Angeles

  • Los Angeles, California
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

The University of California – Los Angeles is one of the best-known and most prestigious institutions in Southern California. It is quite selective for a public university, as California residents need to be ranked in the top 9% of their high school graduating class to be considered. UCLA is known for offering generous financial aid packages to its students, including Regents Scholarships.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $13,240 in-state; $42,994 non-resident
Visit School Website
4

University of California – Irvine

  • Irvine, California
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

The University of California – Irvine is often regarded as one of the top public universities in the country, never mind Southern California. UC Irvine offers over 200 degree programs. UC Irvine also offers over 170 study abroad programs.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $13,727 in-state; $43,481 non-resident
Visit School Website
5

University of California – San Diego

  • San Diego, California
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

The University of California – San Diego may finish behind local rival SDSU, but it is still a highly ranked public university. UCSD has an enrollment of 39,000, and it is growing rapidly. California applicants must have at least a 3.0 high school GPA, while non-resident applicants must have at least a 3.4 GPA.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $14,415 in-state; $44,169 non-resident
Visit School Website
6

University of California – Riverside

  • Riverside, California
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

The University of California – Riverside is another highly rated Southern California campus within the UC system. UCR has an enrollment of roughly 24,000. It has over 170 degree programs.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $13,853 in-state; $43,607 non-resident
Visit School Website
7

Soka University of America

  • Aliso Viejo, California
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

The Soka University of America is a newer private university that focuses on the liberal arts. SUA offers a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts with concentrations in Humanities, Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, International Studies, or Social and Behavioral Sciences. All students are required to spend a semester studying abroad.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $33,982
Visit School Website
8

Point Loma Nazarene University

  • San Diego, California
  • Graduation Rate: 71%

Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego is a top private university with a Christian affiliation. It offers many undergraduate programs; it also offers graduate programs in Clinical Counseling, Nursing Practice, and Education.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $36,950
Visit School Website
9

Pomona College

  • Claremont, California
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

Pomona College in Claremont is one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the country. It offers degree programs not just in the humanities, but also in science (which is rare for a liberal arts college). Pomona offers students over 50 different study abroad programs.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $54,762
Visit School Website
10

California Institute of Technology

  • Pasadena, California
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

The California Institute of Technology, often called CalTech, is one of the top STEM institutions in the world. It is very selective, and applicants must show evidence of academic success in STEM fields. CalTech enrolls about 2,500 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs combined.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $54,600
Visit School Website
11

Loyola Marymount University

  • Los Angeles, California
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

Loyola Marmount University is a Catholic institution in Los Angeles. It offers roughly 60 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate programs. LMU is especially well-known for its excellent film school.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $50,683
Visit School Website
12

Claremont McKenna College

  • Claremont, California
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

Claremont McKenna College is another top liberal arts college in Claremont. CMC emphasizes experiential learning, which is rare for a liberal arts school. The vast majority of students complete at least one internship.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $56,475
Visit School Website
13

University of San Diego

  • San Diego, California
  • Graduation Rate: 76%

The University of San Diego is a private Catholic institution with an enrollment of roughly 9,000. It offers many undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a well-respected MBA program. It also offers a unique Master’s in Peace Studies.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $51,186
Visit School Website
14

Pitzer College

  • Claremont, California
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

Pitzer College is another member of the seven Claremont Colleges, which are a highly rated group of liberal arts colleges. It is very small, only enrolling 1,000 or so students. It is unique in that students design their own majors.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $56,018
Visit School Website
15

Harvey Mudd College

  • Claremont, California
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

Harvey Mudd College is another one of the Claremont Colleges. It is unique amongst the group in that it is focused on STEM education. Most of the programs offered at HMC are in math or science-related fields.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $58,660
Visit School Website
16

University of Southern California

  • Los Angeles, California
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

The University of Southern California is the largest and best-known private institution in Southern California. Its 47,000 students pursue over 100 different degree programs. USC is another institution that is well-known for its film school, which is often ranked among the finest in the world.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $58,195
Visit School Website
17

Pepperdine University

  • Malibu, California
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

Pepperdine University is a private Christian university in Malibu. Pepperdine offers more than 80 degree programs. It is home to a well-known law school.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $55,892
Visit School Website
18

Scripps College

  • Claremont, California
  • Graduation Rate: 84%
Outdoor view of college building and students

Scripps College, a member of The Claremont Colleges, is dedicated to educating women for lives of leadership, service, integrity, and creativity. Scripps offers a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, a robust intellectual community, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a rich residential experience.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $57,188
Visit School Website
19

Chapman University

  • Orange, California
  • Graduation Rate: 79%

Chapman University in Orange, CA is a private Christian university. It enrolls roughly 10,000 students. Chapman is known for being very generous with its financial aid packages, with roughly 80% of students receiving aid.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $54,924
Visit School Website
20

Occidental College

  • Los Angeles, California
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

Occidental College is a leading liberal arts college in Los Angeles. It offers more than 40 degree programs, and students can also create their own major. Occidental will meet 100% of a student’s financial aid needs.

School Overview

Tuition per year: $56,576
Visit School Website

Our Ranking Methodology

We ranked the schools on this list using a formula that produces a rating for each school. Our formula takes two vital statistics (yearly tuition rate and graduation rate) into account. Several of the schools on this list have different tuition rates for California residents and non-residents. If this is the case, we only looked at the school’s resident tuition rate. Our formula took the tuition rate and added a multiple taken from the percentage of enrolled students who did not end up graduating from the school. Here’s an example: College #1 has a yearly tuition rate of $50,000 and a graduation rate of 80%. Its rating would be 60,000 (50,000 x 120%). The schools on this list are ranked from lowest rating to highest, as a low rating is positive when using our formula.

Check out our best colleges in Northern California here.

Students looking for the best colleges in Southern California can find the school they’re looking for through our site.

Representatives of the schools on this list can contact us if they need to make any corrections or ask us any questions.

Find the program that’s right for you

Whether you’re trying to start your career or make a big change, we can help you find the perfect school to help you reach your goals.

Woman in graduation cap and gown