180 cities · 368 colleges

Colleges Near California

Every city in California with at least one accredited college. Pick a city to see every college there, with verified data from the College Scorecard and IPEDS.

Explore the Colleges Near California

This page breaks down every city in California with an accredited college, so you can see where the options actually are. The highest-rated of them is the cost and admissions data at University of California-Los Angeles, in Los Angeles.

California's 368 colleges are spread across 180 cities. Los Angeles has the most, with 23 colleges, while 120 smaller cities have a single college each. Across California, the average net price works out to roughly $20,678 a year, after grants and scholarships are applied.

Where California's Colleges Are

Los Angeles 23
San Diego 18
Pasadena 10
Sacramento 10
San Francisco 10
Riverside 8
Anaheim 7
San Jose 7
Fresno 6
Oakland 6

Browse Colleges by City

Across the whole state, the highest-scoring college is the full profile for University of California-San Diego.

Los Angeles 23 colleges

16 four-year and 7 two-year colleges. Top-rated: University of California-Los Angeles. Average net price around $25,274.

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San Diego 18 colleges

16 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: San Diego State University. Average net price around $32,641.

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Pasadena 10 colleges

7 four-year and 3 two-year colleges. Top-rated: California Institute of Technology. Average net price around $25,320.

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Sacramento 10 colleges

3 four-year and 7 two-year colleges. Top-rated: Sacramento Ultrasound Institute. Average net price around $20,717.

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San Francisco 10 colleges

8 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: Minerva University. Average net price around $32,871.

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Riverside 8 colleges

4 four-year and 4 two-year colleges. Top-rated: University of California-Riverside. Average net price around $25,226.

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Anaheim 7 colleges

4 four-year and 3 two-year colleges. Top-rated: California Career Institute. Average net price around $26,698.

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San Jose 7 colleges

3 four-year and 4 two-year colleges. Top-rated: San Jose State University. Average net price around $23,864.

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Fresno 6 colleges

4 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: Agape College of Business and Science. Average net price around $13,155.

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Oakland 6 colleges

4 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: Reach University. Average net price around $19,684.

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Ontario 6 colleges

4 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: Platt College-Ontario. Average net price around $34,830.

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Bakersfield 5 colleges

3 four-year and 2 two-year colleges. Top-rated: California State University-Bakersfield. Average net price around $26,323.

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In San Diego, the strongest option is the cost and admissions data at San Diego State University.

More Cities in California

Every College in California

All 368 accredited colleges in California, A to Z, with the city each one sits in. Every name links straight to its profile.

In Pasadena, the strongest option is the cost and admissions data at California Institute of Technology.

For rankings, costs, and outcomes across the whole state rather than one college at a time, see the full California college guide.

Want the full picture of California, with college rankings, costs, and student outcomes?

See the California Guide

Other Nearby States

Neighbouring states worth a look — useful if you're weighing options across state lines, considering in-state vs out-of-state tuition, or just exploring the wider region.

Arizona

Arizona

64 colleges
Nevada

Nevada

20 colleges
Oregon

Oregon

58 colleges
Delaware

Delaware

6 colleges

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