2023 Most Popular Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Finding the Best Education Graduate Certificate 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which graduate certificate 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.
2023 Most Popular Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California
Check out the education graduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 10 Most Popular Education Graduate Certificate Schools
Our analysis found Saint Mary’s College of California to be the most popular school for education students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in California. Located in the large suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Of the 172 students majoring in education at SMC, 20% are male and 80% are female.
Request Information
Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Northcentral University landed the # 2 spot 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.
Women make up 80% of the education majors at the school.
Full Education at Northcentral University Report
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Irvine is a great place for education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 144 students majoring in education at UC Irvine, 24% are male and 76% are female.
Full Education at University of California - Irvine Report
Request Information
The in-demand graduate certificate programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular education schools in California. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Of the 82 students majoring in education at USC, 11% are male and 89% are female.
Read full report on Education at University of Southern California
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.
Women make up 81% of the education majors at the school.
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students working on their graduate certificate. SFSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Of the 63 students majoring in education at SFSU, 10% are male and 90% are female.
Read full report on Education at San Francisco State University
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students working on their graduate certificate. Cal State LA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Women make up 77% of the education majors at the school.
Full Education at California State University - Los Angeles Report
Request Information
San Diego State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate education programs. SDSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Diego.
About 82% of the students majoring in education at the school are women while 18% are male.
Read full report on Education at San Diego State University
Request Information
Azusa Pacific University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate education programs. Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Of the 36 students majoring in education at Azusa Pacific, 14% are male and 86% are female.
Read full report on Education at Azusa Pacific University
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa, Vanguard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Women make up 77% of the education majors at the school.
Read full report on Education at Vanguard University of Southern California
Request InformationBest 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 25 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.
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.
© 2025 Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.