2023 Best Schools in California
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamp that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 152 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for students working on their degree.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,926 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, Stanford graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $83,159 during the early year of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Keck Graduate Institute. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
On average, students take out $24,498 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from KGI, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $60,610 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for students.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,301 in student loans. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $323.After graduating from UC Berkeley, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $60,587 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Clara University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
Degree recipients from SCU accumulate an average of $19,104 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $657.After graduating from SCU, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $67,441 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Fielding Graduate University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
Once they receive their degree, Fielding graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $68,179 during the early year of their career.
California Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #6 on the list.
Once they receive their degree, Caltech graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $94,845 during the early year of their career.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #7 on the list.
On average, students take out $18,067 in loans while pursuing their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $377. During the early years of their career, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduates make an average of $54,753 annually.
Read full report on California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Claremont Graduate University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
During the early years of their career, Claremont Graduate University graduates make an average of $56,648 annually.
With a ranking of #9, University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,661 in student loans. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $489. Once they receive their degree, USC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $65,044 during the early year of their career.
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.
On average, students take out $16,277 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $278, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from UCLA, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $53,838 during the early years of their career.
Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #11 on the list.
Degree recipients from SRJC accumulate an average of $13,715 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from SRJC, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $63,295 during the early years of their career.
Foothill College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #12 on the list.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,949 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, Foothill College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $97,367 during the early year of their career.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in California ranking.
On average, students take out $16,986 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $287, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, UCSB graduates make an average of $40,268 annually.
Canada College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in California ranking.
Degree recipients from Canada College accumulate an average of $13,439 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. During the early years of their career, Canada College graduates make an average of $92,243 annually.
With a ranking of #15, Brandman University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.
On average, students take out $29,571 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, Brandman graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $60,858 during the early year of their career.
Westmont College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
Degree recipients from Westmont accumulate an average of $20,522 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $583. Once they receive their degree, Westmont graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $34,963 during the early year of their career.
Santa Barbara City College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
On average, students take out $18,628 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, SBCC graduates make an average of $53,400 annually.
University of San Francisco did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #18 on the list.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,881 in student loans. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $653, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, USFCA graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $60,640 during the early year of their career.
University of California - Davis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in California ranking.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,449 in student loans. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $281. Once they receive their degree, UC Davis graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $46,065 during the early year of their career.
With a ranking of #20, Dominican University of California did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,447 in student loans. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $734. During the early years of their career, DUofC graduates make an average of $53,232 annually.
Saint Mary’s College of California landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.
On average, students take out $27,136 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $659, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, SMC graduates make an average of $50,025 annually.
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #22 on the list.
Degree recipients from Loyola Marymount accumulate an average of $20,811 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $821, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, Loyola Marymount graduates make an average of $48,301 annually.
Touro University Worldwide ranked #23 on this year’s Best Schools in California list.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $33,040 in student loans. During the early years of their career, TUW graduates make an average of $46,846 annually.
With a ranking of #25, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.
During the early years of their career, Middlebury Institute graduates make an average of $51,239 annually.
Full Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Report
Best Schools in the Far Western US Region
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 27 | Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 28 | University of Redlands | Redlands, CA |
| 29 | Fresno Pacific University | Fresno, CA |
| 30 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 31 | Asher College | Sacramento, CA |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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