2023 Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in California
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 205 schools in California to see which ones were the most popular master's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named University of Southern California the most popular school in California for students working on their master’s degree. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 9,128 students in 2020-2021.
Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at USC. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent master’s degree programs at National University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular schools in California. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 4,339 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
Online graduate courses are available at National University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 48% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 3,137 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 47% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UCLA. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 205 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school handed out 2,909 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that San Jose State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 2,905 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 46% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that UC Berkeley does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 90% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Stanford University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 2,203 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 45% of those degree recipients were women.
Stanford does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 10% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,170 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 39% of those degree recipients were women.
UCSD does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 65% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pepperdine University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 1,956 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 67% of those degree recipients were women.
Since the graduate programs at Pepperdine are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Brandman University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. Brandman is located in Irvine, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,652 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 69% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, Brandman is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Northridge did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. This large public school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 1,634 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUN does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on California State University - Northridge
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,630 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 62% of those degree recipients were women.
Online graduate courses are available at CSULB, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Read full report on California State University - Long Beach
University of San Francisco came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 1,634 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 66% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at USFCA. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,609 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 50% were women.
One thing to take note of is that UC Irvine does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. This large public school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 1,575 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
Cal State Fullerton does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,556 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 64% were women.
SDSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
California Baptist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,310 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 70% were women.
Cal Baptist does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 45% took at least some of their classes online.
Naval Postgraduate School landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. Naval Postgraduate School is a public institution located in Monterey, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,211 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 20% were women.
Naval Postgraduate School does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 47% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of California - Davis ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 1,225 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 55% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UC Davis does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 52% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
California State University - East Bay came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school located in Hayward, California that handed out 1,190 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 66% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Cal State East Bay. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large public school awarded 1,180 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 64% were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Cal State LA. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Irvine ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in Irvine, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 1,092 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Concordia University, Irvine. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
University of San Diego ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California list. USD is located in San Diego, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,121 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at USD. In fact, around 24% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Northcentral University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,029 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Around 72% of those degree recipients were women.
Since the graduate programs at Northcentral University are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. This large public school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 1,024 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Sac State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 86% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Rest of the Top 15% Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in California
Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
View Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our most popular schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
| 33 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 34 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 35 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 36 | California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA |
| 37 | University of the People | Pasadena, CA |
| 38 | Sofia University | Palo Alto, CA |
| 39 | Alliant International University | San Diego, CA |
| 40 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 41 | Touro University Worldwide | Los Alamitos, CA |
| 42 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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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