Ranking
Best Physical Sciences, General Colleges in California 2026
California State University-Stanislaus leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 26.04 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 12 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.
12 eligible California colleges reporting awards in Physical Sciences, General, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.
- Schools ranked
- 12
- Cheapest net price
- $5,672
- Top earnings 10y
- $68,396
- Public / Private
- 11 / 1
California State University-Stanislaus
A+- ROI proxy
- 26.04
- Net price
- $6,067
- Earnings 10y
- $63,188
- Acceptance
- 98.1%
California State University-Fresno
A+- ROI proxy
- 21.87
- Net price
- $7,000
- Earnings 10y
- $61,244
- Acceptance
- 95.3%
Chaffey College
A+- ROI proxy
- 18.94
- Net price
- $5,672
- Earnings 10y
- $42,975
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
El Camino Community College District
A+- ROI proxy
- 17.42
- Net price
- $5,968
- Earnings 10y
- $41,589
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Sonoma State University
A- ROI proxy
- 12.80
- Net price
- $12,885
- Earnings 10y
- $65,986
- Acceptance
- 93.4%
American River College
A- ROI proxy
- 12.55
- Net price
- $7,999
- Earnings 10y
- $40,162
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Glendale Community College
A- ROI proxy
- 12.41
- Net price
- $8,365
- Earnings 10y
- $41,540
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of California-Santa Cruz
B- ROI proxy
- 9.56
- Net price
- $17,890
- Earnings 10y
- $68,396
- Acceptance
- 65.8%
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
B- ROI proxy
- 9.04
- Net price
- $13,171
- Earnings 10y
- $47,626
- Acceptance
- 98.2%
Feather River Community College District
B- ROI proxy
- 8.83
- Net price
- $10,800
- Earnings 10y
- $38,142
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Vanguard University of Southern California
C- ROI proxy
- 7.01
- Net price
- $21,241
- Earnings 10y
- $59,541
- Acceptance
- 62.4%
Compton College
C- ROI proxy
- 6.76
- Net price
- $12,647
- Earnings 10y
- $34,181
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools reporting awards in Physical Sciences, General, 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 13.60 (11 public, 1 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?
California State University-Stanislaus in Turlock, 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?
12 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.