2023 Most Popular Education Schools in California
Finding the Best Education School for You
In 2020-2021, education students earned 25,545 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 7th in the state.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Education Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 177 schools in California to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Education program at each school on the list.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Most Popular Education Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for education majors pursuing a .
Top 25 Most Popular California Schools in Education
Our 2023 rankings named National University the most popular school in California for education students. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
After completing their degree, education graduates from National University carry an average student debt load of $33,420.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Education Schools in California list. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The excellent programs at California State University - Fullerton helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best education schools in California. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, education majors at Cal State Fullerton accumulate an average of around $16,732 in student debt.
Full Education at California State University - Fullerton Report
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Brandman University is a great place for education students. Located in the large city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, education graduates from Brandman carry an average student debt load of $29,480.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Sac State is a very large public school located in the large city of Sacramento.
On average, education graduates from Sac State take out $20,450 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Education Schools in California list. Cal State LA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, education majors at Cal State LA accumulate an average of around $13,000 in student debt.
Northcentral University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of San Diego, Northcentral University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #9 on the list. CSUN is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that education majors at UC Irvine take out is $15,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $230.
With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
While working on their degree, education majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $13,748 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $219.
University of Redlands ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Education Schools in California list. Located in the city of Redlands, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
San Jose State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
With a ranking of #14, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students. SFSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco.
On average, education graduates from SFSU take out $13,700 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $98, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Education at San Francisco State University
California State University - Fresno came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Education Schools in California ranking. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
The average amount in student loans that education majors at Fresno State take out is $15,332.
Concordia University, Irvine landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular education programs. Located in the city of Irvine, Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Alliant International University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Education Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of San Diego, Alliant is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, education majors at Alliant accumulate an average of around $20,956 in student debt.
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #18 on the list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Read full report on Education at Loyola Marymount University
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Education Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Carson, CSUDH is a public college with a large student population.
On average, education graduates from CSUDH take out $10,845 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of La Verne did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the suburb of La Verne, ULV is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, education graduates from ULV carry an average student debt load of $24,492. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $511, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
California Baptist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Education Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, education graduates from Cal Baptist take out $30,490 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Education at California Baptist University
University of California - Riverside did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for education students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, education majors at UCR accumulate an average of around $18,500 in student debt.
Azusa Pacific University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular education programs. Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Education majors at Azusa Pacific take out an average of $24,938 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $345, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Education Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Education at Saint Mary’s College of California
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Education Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Bakersfield, CSUB is a public college with a large student population.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Bakersfield
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional popular schools for Education students in the state of California that almost earned our Most Popular Education Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Teachers College of San Joaquin | Stockton, CA |
| 28 | California State University - East Bay | Hayward, CA |
| 29 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 30 | University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA |
| 31 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 32 | University of San Diego | San Diego, CA |
| 33 | California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA |
| 34 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 35 | California State University - San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
Best Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 5,206 |
| Oregon | 4,001 |
| Hawaii | 830 |
| Nevada | 1,387 |
| Alaska | 331 |
Education Related Majors
Education Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110,226 |
| Educational Administration | 46,469 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,297 |
| Special Education | 36,792 |
| General Education | 29,810 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 19,832 |
| Student Counseling | 13,858 |
| Instructional Media Design | 8,695 |
| Teaching English or French | 5,791 |
| Other Education | 4,858 |
| Teaching Assistants | 2,751 |
| Educational Assessment | 2,552 |
| Multilingual Education | 1,910 |
| Education Philosophy | 737 |
| International Education | 293 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Education
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Communication & Journalism | 120,571 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 26 schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.