Ranking
Best Data Science Colleges in California 2026
University of California-San Diego leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 17.03 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 5 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.
5 eligible California colleges reporting awards in Data Science, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.
- Schools ranked
- 5
- Cheapest net price
- $12,470
- Top earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Public / Private
- 2 / 3
University of California-San Diego
A+- ROI proxy
- 17.03
- Net price
- $12,470
- Earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Acceptance
- 26.7%
University of California-Santa Barbara
A- ROI proxy
- 11.63
- Net price
- $16,109
- Earnings 10y
- $74,915
- Acceptance
- 33%
University of the Pacific
B- ROI proxy
- 7.71
- Net price
- $25,447
- Earnings 10y
- $78,445
- Acceptance
- 71.3%
Saint Mary's College of California
C- ROI proxy
- 6.49
- Net price
- $30,378
- Earnings 10y
- $78,812
- Acceptance
- 86.5%
Point Loma Nazarene University
D- ROI proxy
- 4.13
- Net price
- $38,729
- Earnings 10y
- $63,998
- Acceptance
- 83.7%
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools reporting awards in Data Science, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 9.40 (2 public, 3 private).
ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
University of California-San Diego in La Jolla, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
5 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.