Ranking
Best Education, General Colleges in California 2026
54 California colleges offering Education, General, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $3,967
- Top earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Public / Private
- 24 / 1
California State University-Los Angeles
A+- ROI score
- 37.31
- Net price
- $3,967
- Earnings 10y
- $59,211
- Acceptance
- 91.3%
California State University-San Bernardino
A+- ROI score
- 32.85
- Net price
- $4,564
- Earnings 10y
- $59,977
- Acceptance
- 93.7%
California State University-Bakersfield
A+- ROI score
- 26.10
- Net price
- $5,652
- Earnings 10y
- $59,009
- Acceptance
- 93.9%
California State University-Stanislaus
A+- ROI score
- 26.04
- Net price
- $6,067
- Earnings 10y
- $63,188
- Acceptance
- 98.1%
California State University-Fullerton
A+- ROI score
- 24.01
- Net price
- $6,555
- Earnings 10y
- $62,951
- Acceptance
- 90.5%
Stanford University
A+- ROI score
- 22.47
- Net price
- $13,807
- Earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Acceptance
- 3.6%
California State University-Fresno
A+- ROI score
- 21.87
- Net price
- $7,000
- Earnings 10y
- $61,244
- Acceptance
- 95.3%
California State University-Northridge
A+- ROI score
- 21.05
- Net price
- $7,021
- Earnings 10y
- $59,115
- Acceptance
- 93.5%
California State University-East Bay
A+- ROI score
- 19.15
- Net price
- $9,320
- Earnings 10y
- $71,401
- Acceptance
- 97.4%
California State University-Sacramento
A+- ROI score
- 17.37
- Net price
- $9,338
- Earnings 10y
- $64,876
- Acceptance
- 94%
University of California-Berkeley
A+- ROI score
- 17.14
- Net price
- $13,481
- Earnings 10y
- $92,446
- Acceptance
- 11%
University of California-San Diego
A+- ROI score
- 17.03
- Net price
- $12,470
- Earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Acceptance
- 26.7%
California State University-Dominguez Hills
A+- ROI score
- 16.59
- Net price
- $8,615
- Earnings 10y
- $57,162
- Acceptance
- 93.3%
University of California-Los Angeles
A+- ROI score
- 16.44
- Net price
- $12,548
- Earnings 10y
- $82,511
- Acceptance
- 9%
California State University-Channel Islands
A- ROI score
- 15.78
- Net price
- $9,849
- Earnings 10y
- $62,152
- Acceptance
- 94.8%
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
A- ROI score
- 15.59
- Net price
- $11,531
- Earnings 10y
- $71,902
- Acceptance
- 75.2%
California State University-Long Beach
A- ROI score
- 15.42
- Net price
- $10,440
- Earnings 10y
- $64,403
- Acceptance
- 46.3%
California State University-San Marcos
A- ROI score
- 15.37
- Net price
- $10,229
- Earnings 10y
- $62,908
- Acceptance
- 95.1%
MiraCosta College
A- ROI score
- 14.94
- Net price
- $7,339
- Earnings 10y
- $43,845
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
San Jose State University
A- ROI score
- 14.35
- Net price
- $13,760
- Earnings 10y
- $78,988
- Acceptance
- 84.6%
University of California-Irvine
A- ROI score
- 14.16
- Net price
- $14,251
- Earnings 10y
- $80,735
- Acceptance
- 28.6%
San Francisco State University
A- ROI score
- 13.86
- Net price
- $12,278
- Earnings 10y
- $68,077
- Acceptance
- 96.4%
University of California-Davis
A- ROI score
- 13.71
- Net price
- $14,741
- Earnings 10y
- $80,838
- Acceptance
- 41.8%
Sonoma State University
A- ROI score
- 12.80
- Net price
- $12,885
- Earnings 10y
- $65,986
- Acceptance
- 93.4%
Woodland Community College
A- ROI score
- 11.98
- Net price
- $8,356
- Earnings 10y
- $40,042
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Education, General program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 18.94 (24 public, 1 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
California State University-Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score 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?
54 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.