Top 10 Best Universities/Colleges In California, Enrollment Rate

How many universities are there in California?

339 Universities/Collegs

A greater number of college students inhabit California than any other state in the nation. As of 2021, California's 339 colleges and universities, encompassing esteemed establishments such as Stanford, UC-Berkeley, and UCLA, boasted an enrollment of 2.71 million students.

The Public Policy Institute of California asserts that the most extensive higher education system in the country is situated in the Golden State.

The California State University system stands as the largest public four-year higher education system in the nation, whereas the University of California system, comprising ten campuses, serves as the foremost academic research institution within the state.

The state map also shows a large number of private universities and community colleges. See this state's Top 10 Best Colleges.

Top 10 Best Universities In California By Enrollment Rate

1. University of Southern California

Enrollment Rate: 48,945

http://www.usc.edu/

Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California is a private university. key metropolitan setting, 226-acre campus, and total undergraduate enrollment of 20,699 (fall 2022) are key features. The academic calendar is based on the semester. University of Southern California is ranked #28 in National Universities in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges. The total cost of attendance is $68,237.

2. University of California Los Angeles

Enrollment Rate: 46,430

https://www.ucla.edu/

According to the U.S. News & World Report 2024 rankings, UCLA is the most popular university in California and the nation's top public university (tied with UC Berkeley).

Among national universities, the University of California, Los Angeles ranked eighth as the best college for veterans.

According to the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, which reflect the opinions of eminent, published academics worldwide, is ranked ninth out of 100 universities.

READ MORE: Top 10 Most Conservative Colleges In The U.S

3. University of California Berkeley

Enrollment Rate: 45,307

https://www.berkeley.edu/

The University of California, Berkeley, or Cal, is there, and it has a view of San Francisco Bay. At Berkeley, at least 95% of first-year students choose to live on campus. There are more than a thousand student groups, ranging from political groups to hang gliding clubs and everything in between. Berkeley has a large Greek community and a lot of fraternity and sorority groups. The sports teams at Berkeley are called the California Golden Bears, and they play in the Pac-12 Conference. They have a long-standing rivalry with Stanford University.

4. University of California San Diego

Enrollment Rate: 42,006

https://www.ucsd.edu/

The University of California-San Diego (UCSD) is a public research university in San Diego's La Jolla neighborhood. It is known for being close to the Pacific Ocean and having a tough academic environment. The ten campuses that make up the University of California system focus on research, new ideas, and working together across disciplines. The college was established in 1960. The design of UCSD's campus, which is split into seven residential colleges, includes both modernist and brutalist architectural elements. Each college has its own living and general education requirements.

READ MORE: The Top 10 Most Reputable Business Colleges in the World

5. California State University Fullerton

Enrollment Rate: 40,386

https://www.fullerton.edu/

Top ranking in the Wall Street Journal's 2021–2022 "National Champions of Affordability" bracket, third place in U.S. News & World Report's 2021–2022 "most innovative regional university in the West" list, and the Seal of Excelencia are just a few of Fullerton's many accolades.

A nonprofit organization named Excelencia in Education bestows the Seal of Excelencia with the goal of hastening Latinx students' success in postsecondary education. The university had to demonstrate that it actively assists Latinx students, who account for about half of the student body, in order to receive the seal.

6. University of California Davis

Enrollment Rate: 39,679

http://www.ucdavis.edu/

Founded in 1905, the University of California, Davis is a public university. As of fall 2022, there are 31,532 undergraduate students enrolled overall, and the campus spans 5,300 acres. It follows the academic schedule based on quarters. The University of California, Davis is ranked #28 among national universities in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges. $15,266 is the in-state tuition and fees, while $46,043 is the out-of-state tuition and fees.

7. California State University Long Beach

Enrollment Rate: 38,973

https://www.csulb.edu/

Founded in 1949, California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) is a public university. Situated in Long Beach, California, it provides an urban campus setting on 322 acres with a blend of modernist and contemporary architecture. Located about 25 miles south of Los Angeles' downtown, CSULB offers easy access to both a diversified cultural environment and a large metropolitan area. The university, which is well-known for its selective admissions process, provides a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with a focus on business, engineering, the arts, and education.

8. California State University Northridge

Enrollment Rate: 37,579

https://www.csun.edu/

Founded in 1958, California State University-Northridge (CSUN) is a public university. It is located approximately thirty minutes from downtown Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley in the Northridge, California, suburban area. The campus, spanning over 356 acres, is home to a wide variety of plants that contribute to the college's pleasing physical environment. Modernist architectural designs can be found throughout the campus. CSUN offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and is well-known for its College of Business and Economics, College of Education, and College of Engineering and Computer Science.

9. San Diego State University

Enrollment Rate: 37,402

https://www.sdsu.edu/

Located in San Diego, California, San Diego State institution (SDSU) is a public research institution. It is the third-oldest university in the California State University system, having opened for business in 1897. Less than ten miles from downtown San Diego, the university's 283-acre campus is home to a blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and Modernist architectural styles. A wide range of academic offerings is provided by SDSU, including well-known courses in psychology, engineering, and business administration.

10. University of California Irvine

Enrollment Rate: 35,937

https://www.uci.edu/

University of California-Irvine (UCI) is a public research university that is part of the prestigious University of California system, and it is located in Irvine, California. UCI was founded in 1965 and is situated on the Southern California coast, roughly 50 miles south of Los Angeles. It offers a suburban environment with a Mediterranean climate. The school is renowned for its cutting-edge architectural design, which includes the striking Langson Library and Aldrich Park, a botanical garden situated in the middle of the campus. There are several residential communities at UCI that offer student housing.

In Conclusion

This brings an end to our discussion of the top 10 colleges in California. To this day, the largest schools in California are consistently ranked among the top 25 in the country in terms of enrollment. These universities have the largest student bodies of any of the colleges and universities in the state of California.

It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of college students in California attend public schools, making them the most populous type of higher education institution in the state.

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